Skip to main content

Full text of "PC Tech Journal Volume 05 Number 06"

See other formats 


LAN HARDWARE STANDARDS 

Flexible specifications for IAN hardware 


AST’S PREMIUM/286 
286 ACCELERATOR BOARDS 
DATA MANAGER: UNIFY 
STATE OF FORTRAN 


JUNE 1987 


VOL. 5 NO. 6 $3-95 


OURNAL 























































Turbo Prolog 


6 6 If you're at all interested in 
artificial intelligence, databases, expert 
systems, or new ways of thinking about 
programming, by all means plunk down 
your $100 and buy a copy of Turbo 
Prolog. Bmee We bster, B yte 9 9 


Only 

$99.95! 



Turbo Prolog, the natural language 
of Artificial Intelligence, is the most 
popular Al package in the world with more 
than 100,000 users. It's the 5th-generation 
computer programming language that 
brings supercomputer power to your IBM 
PC and compatibles. You can join the Al 
revolution with Turbo Prolog for only 
$99.95. Step-by-step tutorials, demo 
programs and source code included. 


Ifew/ Turbo Prolog 
li Toolbox 

Our new Turbo Prolog Toolbox ™ 
enhances Turbo Prolog—with more 
than 80 tools and over 8,000 lines of 
source code that can easily be 
incorporated into your programs. It 
includes about 40 example programs 
that show you how to 
use and incorporate your 
new tools. 

New Turbo Prolog 
Toolbox features include: 

Business graphic generation 
Complete communications package 
File transfers from Reflex, dBASE III, 
1-2-3, Symphony 
A unique parser generator 
Sophisticated user-interface design 
tools 


It's the complete developer's 
toolbox and a major addition to 
Turbo Prolog. You get a wide variety 
of menus—pull-down, pop-up, line, 
tree and box—so you can choose the 
one that suits your application best. 
You'll quickly and easily learn how to 
produce graphics; set up communica¬ 
tions with remote devices; read 
information from Reflex ,* dBASE III,* 
Lotus 1-2-3* and Symphony* files; 
generate parsers and design user 
interfaces. All of this for only $99.95. 


Only 

$99.95! 


System requirements 

Turbo Prolog: IBM PC, XT, AT or true compatibles. PC-DOS (MS- 
DOS) 2.0 or later. 384K. Turbo Prolog Toolbox requires Turbo 
Prolog 1.10 or higher. Dual-floppy disk drive or hard disk. 512K. 




Turbo Pascal 


The power and high performance of 
Turbo Pascal is already in the hands of 
more than half-a-million people. The tech¬ 
nically superior Turbo Pascal is the de facto 
worldwide standard and the clear leader. 

The Turbo Pascal family includes: 

■ Turbo Pascal 9 3.0 

■ Turbo Tutor* 2.0 

■ Turbo Database Toolbox* 

■ Turbo Editor Toolbox* 

■ Turbo Graphix Toolbox* 

■ Turbo GameWorks * 

■ Turbo Pascal Numerical Methods 
Toolbox " 



Turbo Pascal, the worldwide standard in 
high-speed compilers, and family. 


6 t The language deal of the century. 

Jeff Duntemann, PC Magazine 3 3 


ATew/ Turbo Pascal 
1 ¥ Numerical Methods 
Toolbox 



What our new Numerical Methods 
Toolbox will do for you now: 

gj Find solutions 
to equations 
gj Interpolations 
gj Calculus: numerical derivatives 
and integrals 
gj Differential equations 
gj Matrix operations: inversions, 
determinants and eigenvalues 
g| Least squares approximations 
g] Fourier transforms 


As well as a free demo FFT pro¬ 
gram, you also get Least Squares 
Fit in 5 different forms: 

1. Power 

2. Exponential 

3. Logarithm 

4. 5-term Fourier 

5. 5-term Polynomial 

They're all ready to compile 
and run. 


All this for only $99.95! 


System requirements 

IBM PC, XT, AT or true compatibles. PC- 
DOS (MS-DOS) 2.0 or later. Turbo Pascal 
2.0 or later. Graphics module requires 
graphics monitor with IBM CGA, IBM 
EGA, or Hercules compatible adapter 
card, and requires Turbo Graphix 
Toolbox. 8087 or 80287 numeric co¬ 
processor not required, but recom¬ 
mended for optimal performance. 256K. 

Turbo Pascal 3.0. 

Includes 8087 & BCD features for 16-bit 
MS-DOS and CP/M-86 systems. CP/M-80 
version minimum memory: 48K; 8087 
and BCD features not available. 128K. 


BI-1103 























Eureka: 


The Solver' 



For the dealer nearest you or to order by phone call 

(800)255-8008 

in CA 1800) 742-1133 in Canada 1800) 237-1136 


4585 SCOTTS VALLEY DRIVE 
SCOTTS VALLEY, CA 95066 
(408) 438-8400 TELEX: 172373 


BORLAND 

INTERNATIONAL 


GF6 


A nyone and 
everyone who 
routinely works with 
equations needs 
Eureka: The Solver 

It solves the most com¬ 
plex equations in seconds. 
Whether you're a scientist, 
engineer, financial analyst, 
student, teacher, or some 
other professional, you 
need Eureka: The Solver! 

Any problem that can be 
expressed as a linear or non-linear 
equation can be solved with Eureka. 
Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus 
problems are a snap. 

Eureka: The Solver also handles 
maximization and minimization 
problems, does plot functions, 
generates reports, and saves you 
an incredible amount of time. 

X+exp(X) = 10 
solved instantly instead 
of eventually! 

Imagine you have to "solve 
for X," where X + exp(X) — 10, and 
you don't have Eureka: The Solver. 
What you do have is a problem, 
because it's going to take a lot of 
time guessing at "X." Maybe your 
guesses get closer and closer to the 
right answer, but it's also getting 
closer and closer to midnight and 
you're doing it the hard way. 

With Eureka: The Solver, there's 
no guessing, no dancing in the dark— 
you get the right answer, right 
now. (PS: X = 2.0705799, and 
Eureka solved that one in .4 
of a second!) 


How to use Eureka: 

The Solver 

It's easy. 

1. Enter your equation into 
the full-screen editor 

2. Select the "Solve" command 

3. Look at the answer 

4. You're done 

You can then tell Eureka to 

■ Evaluate your solution 

■ Plot a graph 

■ Generate a report, then send the 
output to your printer, disk file 
or screen 

■ Or all of the above 


All this power for only 
$99.95! 

Equation-solving used to be a 
mainframe problem, but we've 
solved that problem. 

Eureka: The Solver is all you 
need—and it's yours for only 
$99.95! 

That kind of savings you can 
calculate with your fingers! 


‘Introductory price—good through July 1, 1987 


$ 99 . 95 ! 


only 


Some of Eureka's 
key features 

You can key in: 

S A formula or formulas 

S A series of equations—and 
solve for all variables 

S Constraints (like X has to be 
< or = 2) 

S’ A function to plot 

S Unit conversions 

S Maximization and minimization 
problems 

S Interest Rate/Present Value 
calculations 

S Variables we call "What hap¬ 
pens?/' like "What happens if I 
change this variable to 21 and 
that variable to 27?" 


Eureka: The Solver includes 

S A full-screen editor 
S Pull-down menus 
S Context-sensitive Help 
S On-screen calculator 
S Automatic 8087 math 
co-processor chip support 
S Powerful financial functions 
S Built-in and user-defined 
math and financial functions 
S Ability to generate reports 
complete with plots and lists 
S Polynomial finder 
S Inequality solutions 


System requirements 

IBM PC, AT, XT, Portable, 3270 or true compatibles. 
PC-DOS (MS-DOS) 2.0 and later. 384K. 


BI-1103 











KM 




^ Turbo Basie 


V 


I 


introducing Turbo 
Basic, the high¬ 


speed BASIC you'd 
expect from 
Borland! 


It's the BASIC compiler you've 
been waiting for. And it’s so fast 
that you'll never have to wait 
again. 

Turbo Basic is a complete devel¬ 
opment environment; it includes a 
lightning-fast compiler, an inter¬ 
active editor, and a trace debug¬ 
ging system. 

Because Turbo Basic is compat¬ 
ible with BASICA, chances are that 
you already know how to use 
Turbo Basic. 


With Turbo Basic your 
only speed is "Full 
Speed Ahead"! 

You probably already know us 
for both Turbo Pascal 9 and Turbo 
Prolog ~ Well, we've done it again! 

We created Turbo Basic, 
because BASIC doesn't have to be 
slow. 

In fact, building fast compilers is 
a Borland specialty; both our Turbo 
Pascal and our Turbo Prolog out¬ 
perform all their rivals by factors, 
and with Turbo Basic, we're proud 
to introduce the first high-speed 
BASIC compiler for the IBM 9 PC. If 
BASIC taught you howto walk, 
Turbo Basic will teach you how 
to run! 


The Critics' Choice 

t i Borland has succeeded in 
stretching the language without 
weighing us down with unneces¬ 
sary details.. . Turbo Basic is the 
answer to my wish for a simple yet 
blindingly fast recreational utility 
language ... The one language 
you can't forget how to use, Turbo 
Basic is a computer language for 
the missus, the masters, the 
masses, and me. 

Steve Gibson, InfoWorld 

Borland's Turbo Basic has advan¬ 
tages over the Microsoft product, 
including support of the high¬ 
speed 8087 math chip. 

John C. Dvorak 5 5 


BI-1103 


Turbo Basic ends the 
basic confusion 

There's now one standard: 

Turbo Basic. 

It's fast, BASICA-compatible, and 
because Turbo Basic is a Borland 
product, the price is right, the 
quality is there, and the power is 
at your fingertips. You see, Turbo 
Basic's part of the fast-growing 
Borland family of programming 
languages—we call it the "Turbo 
Family." Hundreds of thousands of 
users are already using Borland's 
languages, so you can't go wrong. 
So join a whole new generation of 
smart IBM PC users—get your 
copy of Turbo Basic today. You get 
an easy-to-read 300+ page 
manual, two disks, and a free 
MicroCalc spreadsheet—and an 
instant start in the fast new world 
of Turbo Basic. All of this for only 
$99.95—Order your copy of Turbo 
Basic today! 


II 


Free spreadsheet included, 
complete with source code! 

Yes , we've included MicroCalc, our sample 
spreadsheet, complete with source code, 
so that you can get started right away with 
a "real program." You can compile and run 
it "as is," or modify it 




ill 

■ 

III 

I 


. 




A technical look at 
Turbo Basic 

gf Full recursion supported 
gf Standard IEEE floating-point 
format 

gf Floating-point support, with full 
8087 (math co-processor) 
integration. Software emulation if 
no 8087 present 
g| Program size limited only by 
available memory (no 64K 
limitation) 

gf EGA and CGA support 
g| /Access to local, static, and global 
variables 

gf Full integration of the compiler, 
editor, and executable program, 
with separate windows for 
editing, messages, tracing, and 
execution 

gf Compile, run-time, and I/O errors 
place you in the source code 
where error occurred 
gf New long integer (32-bit) data 
type 

gf Full 80-bit precision 
gf Pull-down menus 
gf Full window management 


System requirements 

IBM PC, XT, AT and true compatibles, PC-DOS (MS- 
DOS) 2.0 or later. One floppy drive, 256K. 



$99.95! 


only 












Turbo C 


T urbo C: The 
fastest most 
efficient and easy- 
to-use C compiler at 
any price 

Compilation speed is more than 
7000 lines a minute, which makes 
anything less than Turbo C an 
exercise in slow motion. Expect 
what only Borland delivers: Quality, 
Speed, Power and Price. 



Turbo C: a complete 
interactive development 
environment 


Like Turbo 
Pascal and 
Turbo Prolog, 
Turbo C comes 
with an interactive editor that will 
show you syntax errors right in your 
source code. Developing, debug¬ 
ging, and running a Turbo C 
program is a snap. 


Turbo C: The C compiler 
for amateurs and 
professionals 

If you're just beginning and 
you've "kinda wanted to learn C," 
now's your chance to do it the easy 
way. Like Turbo Pascal, Turbo C’s 
got everything to get you going. 

If you're already programming 
in C, switching to Turbo C will 
considerably increase your 
productivity and help make your 
programs both smaller and faster. 
Actually, writing in Turbo C is a 
highly productive and effective 
method—and we speak from exper¬ 
ience. Eureka: The Solver and our 
new generation of software have 
been developed using Turbo C. 


Turbo C: The C compiler 
everybody's been 
waiting for. Everybody 
but the competition 

Borland's "Quality, Speed, Power 
and Price" commitment isn't idle 
corporate chatter. The $99.95 price 
tag on Turbo C isn't a "typo," it's 
real. So if you'd like to learn C in a 
hurry, pick up the phone. If you're 
already using C, switch to Turbo C 
and see the difference for yourself. 


System requirements 

IBM PC, XT, AT and true compatibles. PC-DOS (MS- 
DOS) 2.0 or later. One floppy drive. 320K. 


Technical Specifications 

[5f Compiler: One-pass compiler 

generating linkable object modules 
and inline assembler. Included is 
Borland's high performance "Turbo 
Linker." The object module is com¬ 
patible with the PC-DOS linker. Sup¬ 
ports tiny, small, compact, medium, 
large, and huge memory model 
libraries. Can mix models with near 
and far pointers. Includes floating 
point emulator Iutilizes 8087/80287 
if installed). 

gf Interactive Editor: The system 

includes a powerful, interactive full¬ 
screen text editor. If the compiler 
detects an error, the editor auto¬ 
matically positions the cursor 
appropriately in the source code. 

Development Environment: A 
powerful "Make" is included so 
that managing Turbo C program 
development is highly efficient. 

Also includes pull-down menus 
and windows. 

Links with relocatable object 
modules created using Borland's 
Turbo Prolog into a single program. 

ANSI C compatible. 

[vf Start-up routine source code 
included. 

0f Both command line and integrated 
environment versions included. 


‘Introductory price—good through July 1, 1987 



Turbo C 


Microsoft • C 


Lattice C 


Compile time 


3.89 


16.37 


13.90 


Compile and link time 


9.94 


29.06 


27.79 


Execution time 


5.77 


9.51 


13.79 


Object code size 


274 


297 


Sieve benchmark (25 iterations) 


$99.95.' 


only 


CIRCLE NO. 254 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Price 


$99.95 


$450.00 


$500.00 


Benchmark run on a 6 Mhz IBM AT using Turbo C version 1.0 and the Turbo 
Linker version 1.0; Microsoft C version 4.0 and the MS overlay linker version 
3.51; Lattice C version 3.1 and the MS object linker version 3.05. 


All Borland products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Borland International, Inc. or 
Borland I Analytica, Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks 
of their respective holders. Copyright 1987 Borland International Bl-1103 














If you thought all file managers 
were alike, think again. 
Think Btrieve. 



Btrieve stands out as the one file management 
system for programmers who are serious about 
productivity. With Btrieve, your programs can 
use simple subroutine calls to store, retrieve, and 
update records. Its the file handling solution 
rich in functionality to meet your needs now 
and in the future, as your requirements 
grow and change. 

Bfast* With Btrieve you develop fast 
applications, with ease. Written in 
assembly language for IBM PC’s, Btrieve 
uses b-tree algorithms with automatic 
balancing for fast, efficient file indexing. 

Bsafe. Btrieve is the only file manager 
with automatic file recovery. Two levels of 
database integrity provide complete fault 
tolerance in the event of accidents or power 
failures. 


Bflexible. Develop your PC applications 
with the capabilities you need most. 
Capabilities such as: unlimited open files, 
unlimited records per file, 24 indexes per file 
and a maximum file size of 4 gigabytes. All 
this with Btrieve plus access from any 
programming language. 


Bconnected. When your applications require 
networking, think Btrieve. A single version runs on all 
DOS 3 LANs, including IBM PC Network and Novell 
Advanced NetWare. Btrieve is also available for 
Xenix and other multi-tasking operating systems. 

Broyalty Free. No royalty payments on your 
applications. Ever. 

Bsure. Btrieve comes with comprehensive 
documentation and unrivaled technical support for 
trouble-free software development. And you can 
add Xtrieve to supply your end users with even 
more, a menu-driven report writer and query 
system. 

Think Btrieve. Make your programming 
performance stand out. Contact SoftCraft. 


SoftCraft 

A NOVELL COMPANY 

P.O. Box 9802, #917 
Austin, Texas 78766 
(512) 346-8380 Telex 358 200 


Btrieve, $245; multi-user Btrieve, $595; Xtrieve, $245; 
multi-user Xtrieve, $595 (for report generation, add $145 for single-user and $345 for multi-user). 

Requires PC-DOS or MS-DOS 2.X, 3.X or Xenix. Btrieve and Xtrieve are registered trademarks of SoftCraft Inc. 


CIRCLE NO. 201 ON READER SERVICE CARD 





Automated Design 



Data Manager 



FORTRAN Perspectives 


LAN HARDWARE STANDARDS / ART KRUMREY and JOHN KOLMAN 

The IEEE, ANSI, and several vendors banded together to draw up a family of specifications for building local area networks. The . 
result is a choice of three basic network types: CSMA/CD, token bus, and token ring, each described in detail here. 

Compatibility and Performance: PREMIUM/286 / STEVEN ARMBRUST and TED FORGERON 

AST Research now has its own AT compatible to house the add-in cards for which the company is best known. The Premium/286 , 
is 80286-based, but its zero wait states and 10-MHz speed allow it to rival the performance of some 386-class machines. 7 4 

FORTRAN PERSPECTIVES / JOHN VOGLEWEDE 

The current field of FORTRAN compilers for the PC demonstrates the ability of this relatively old language to adapt to new uses. 

The compilers reviewed here are from Digital Research, Ellis, Lahey, Microsoft, Prospero, Ryan-McFarland, and WATCOM. yl 


SPEED INFUSION, PART 3 / TED MIRECKI 

The fastest approach to increasing the speed of a PC is to install an accelerator that replaces the 8088 with an 80286. This not 
only speeds up the machine, it also puts its identity in question: is this PC now an AT? Eleven accelerators are examined. 


118 


A DATA MANAGER STRONG ON ADMINISTRATION / JIM ROBERTS 

UNIFY, the leading data manager in the UNIX market, has been translated to DOS. While its look may be unfamiliar to DOS 
users and its ease of use a problem, it offers strong administration for large databases, often missing in DOS data managers. 


138 


AUTOMATED DESIGN / VICTOR E. WRIGHT 

RGRAPH, from Aptos Systems, brings computers to the aid of printed circuit board designers. This microcomputer CAD package . 
automates many of the steps involved in designing a circuit board, from creating a schematic to producing final artwork. 1 jO 

Programming Practices : DRAWING FLEXIBLE CHARACTERS / MARK BRIDGER 

Graphics characters can be represented by a sequence of line segments rather than by a dot matrix, increasing their flexibility. 

They can be scaled, moved, rotated, or redesigned. A sample Turbo Pascal program presents some vector graphics techniques. 180 


9 DIRECTIONS 

Mac II Attack 

15 LETTERS 
32 TECH RELEASES 


51 TECH NOTEBOOK 

195 BOOK REVIEWS 

Batch File Interaction 

Lingua FORTRAN 

189 PRODUCT WATCH 

199 EXPERT CONSULTANT: 

pcANYWHERE 

APPUED AI 

ZVIEW 

Command Plus 

Framing Knowledge 


203 TECH MART 

211 TECH MARKETPLACE 

224 CALENDAR 

225 READER SERVICE CARD 


Cover illustration * Andy Levine 





















Software Tools 

For Programmers & Non-Programmers 


Get ‘State of the Art’ performance 
and save valuable time with these 
high quality utilities! 

Opt-Tech Sort™ 

Opt-Tech Sort is a high performance Sort/Merge/Select 
utility. It can read, sort and write a file faster than most 
programs can even read the data. Example: 1,000 
records of 80 bytes can be read, sorted and a new file 
written in less than 10 seconds (IBM XT). Opt-Tech Sort 
can be used as a stand-alone program or called as a 
subroutine to over 25 different programming languages. 

All the sorting, record selection and reformatting facilities 
you need are included. A partial list of features includes: 
The ability to process files of any size. Numerous 
filetypes are supported including Sequential, Random, 
Delimited, Btrieve, dBASE II & III and many others. Up 
to 10 key fields can be specified (ascending or descend¬ 
ing order). Over 16 different types of data supported. 
Powerful record selection capability allows you to specify 
which records are to be included on your output. Record 
reformatting allows you to change the structure of your 
output record and to output special fields such as record 
numbers for use as indexes. 

MS-DOS $149. ★ NEW ★ Xenix $249. 


★ NEW ★ 
VERSION 


VERSION On-Line Help 1 

On-Line Help allows you to easily add “Help Windows” 
to all your programs. On-Line Help is actually two help 
packages in one. You get BOTH Resident (pop-up) and 
Callable Help Systems. 

The resident version allows you to add help to any 
system. Your Help System is activated when the “Hot 
Keys” that you specify are pressed. You can then chain 
between help windows in any manner you desire. 

The callable version allows you to easily display help 
windows from your programs. A simple call to the help 
system makes the window appear. The original screen 
is automatically restored when the help window is 
cleared. On-Line Help is callable from over 20 different 
languages. 

You have full control over the help window content, size, 
color and location. 

MS-DOS $149. Demo $10. (apply toward purchase). 

Scroll & Recall™ 

Scroll & Recall is a resident screen and keyboard 
enhancement. It allows you to conveniently scroll back 
through data that has gone off the top of your display 
screen. Up to 27 screens of data can be recalled or writ¬ 
ten to a disk file (great for documenting systems opera¬ 
tions). Also allows you to easily recall and edit your 
previously entered DOS commands without retyping. 
Scroll & Recall is very easy to use. It’s a resident utility 
that’s always there when you need it. MS-DOS $69. 

Visa, M/C, AMEX, Check, Money Order, COD 
or Purchase Orders accepted. 

To order or to receive additional information just call 
and receive immediate highly qualified attention! 

Opt-Tech Data Processing 

P.O. Box 678 — Zephyr Cove, NV 89448 . 
_ (702) 588-3737 _ y 



OURNAL, 


VOL. 5, NO. 6 


PUBLISHER: Newton Barrett 
EDITOR: Will Fastie 


EDITORIAL 

MANAGING EDITOR: Marjory Spraycar 
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Julie Anderson 
SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITOR: Jim Shields 

TECHNICAL EDITORS: Caroline Halliday, David Methvin, Ted Mirecki 

ASSOCIATE TECHNICAL EDITOR: Maxine Fontana 

CHIEF COPY EDITOR: Susan Holly 

SENIOR COPY EDITOR: Gail Shaffer 

COPY EDITOR: Bruce Ansley 

NEW PRODUCTS EDITOR: Carole L. Eyring 

OFFICE MANAGER: Trish Ledbetter 

EDITORIAL SECRETARY: Valerie Rose 

RECEPTIONIST: Debbie Lintner 

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Steven Armbrust, Dave Browning, Michael A 
Covington, Richard M. Foard, Ted Forgeron, Augie Hansen, Thomas V. 
Hoffmann, Henry F. Ledgard, Max Stul Oppenheimer, Richard Schwartz, 
Robert Shostak 


ART & PRODUCTION 

ART DIRECTOR: Paula Jaworski 
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: Sharon Reuter 
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Alison Regan Mrohs 
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS: Maciek Albrecht, David Povilaitis 


ADVERTISING SALES 

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: Rita Burke 
ADVERTISING MANAGER/WEST COAST: Phyllis Egan 
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Marti Cunha 
SALES SUPPORT ADMINISTRATOR: Lucy L. Frazer 
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR: JeanMarie Donlin 
MARKETING COORDINATOR: Kimberly Schroeder 
DISTRICT MANAGERS: Arlene Braithwaite — Southeast; Gayl Sorota — 
New England; John Blake — Mid-Atlantic; Bill Barney — Midwest; 

Bill Bush, Deborah Gisonni, Nan Hanna—West Coast 
ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES: Mary Martin—Southeast; 

England; Nanette Vilushis—Midwest; Carey Clarke, 

Steve Moorman—West Coast; John Blake—National Accounts, Mail 
Order; Classified Advertising Director—Kathryn Cumberlander 


CIRCULATION 

CIRCULATION MANAGER: Charles Mast 
CIRCULATION SALES DEVELOPMENT: Daniel Rosensweig 
MEDIA MANAGER: Melinda Kendall 
RETAIL SALES MANAGER: Carol Benedetto 


ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANY, a division of Ziff Communications Co. 

PRESIDENT: Kenneth H. Koppel 

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, Marketing: Paul H. Chook 

VICE PRESIDENT, Operations: Baird Davis 

VICE PRESIDENT, Controller: John Vlachos 

VICE PRESIDENT, Creative Services: Herbert Stem 

VICE PRESIDENT, Research Marian O. White 

VICE PRESIDENT, Circulation: Alicia Marie Ivans 

VICE PRESIDENT, Circulation Services: James Ramaley 

VICE PRESIDENT, Marketing Services: Ann Poliak Adelman 

VICE PRESIDENT, Development: Seth Alpert 

VICE PRESIDENT: Hugh Tietjen 

BUSINESS MANAGER: Gary A Gustafson 

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Walter J.Terlecki 


ZIFF COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY 

CHAIRMAN: Philip B. Korsant; PRESIDENT: Kenneth H. Koppel; SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT: 
Philip Sine; VICE PRESIDENTS: Laurence Usdin, William L. Phillips, J. Malcolm Morris, 
Steven C. Feinman; TREASURER: Selwyn I. Taubman; SECRETARY: Bertram A Abrams 


EDITORIAL OFFICE 


ADVERTISING OFFICES 

(East Coast/Midwest) Suite 800, 10480 Litde Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 
21044. 301/740-8300. (Mid-Atlantic) 118 Palisade Avenue, Suite 5C, Cliffside 
Park, NJ 07010. 201/945-8833. (West Coast) 3460 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 
CA 90010. 213/387-2100; 11 Davis Drive, Belmont, CA 94002. 415/598-2290. 


SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES 

PC Tech Journal, P.O. Box 2968, Boulder, CO 80321. Subscription service: 800/525-0643, 
303/447-9330. Back issues: send $7/copy ($8 outside U.S.) to Ziff-Davis Publishing, One Park 
Avenue, 4th floor, New York, NY 10016. 


PC Tech Journal (ISSN 0738-0194) is published by Ziff-Davis Publishing Co., a division of 

Ziff Communications Co., One Park Ave., New York, NY 10016. Published monthly except 
semi-monthly in December. Subscription rate is $34.97 for one year (13 issues). Additional 
postage for Canada and Foreign is $.60/copy or $8.00/year. Second-class postage paid at 
New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PC 
Tech Journal, P.O. Box 2968, Boulder, CO 80321 


PC TECH JOURNAL is an independent journal, not affiliated in any way with International 

Business Machines Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business 
Machines Corp. Entire contents Copyright ® 1987 Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, a division 
of Ziff Communications Company. All rights reserved; reproduction in whole or in pan 
without permission is prohibited. Direct written requests to Jean Lamensdorf, Licensing 
Manager, Reprints/Rights & Permissions, One Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016. 

___ A 1985 AWARD FOR 

TO/DDA ML BEST COMPUTER MAGAZINE 

y jjTX* Computer Press Association 


4 


CIRCLE NO. 222 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 

























INTRODUCING 

PERISCOPE m 




Q uickly and thoroughly debug your soft¬ 
ware with this new real-time hardware 
breakpoint debugger. You’ll be amazed at how 
easily you track down the most elusive bugs! 


A new generation of debugging is 
here! Nowhere else can you 
invest less than $1000 and get the 
power of the new Periscope III 
board’s hardware breakpoints and 
real-time trace buffer! The same board 
works on both PC- and AT-class 
machines, so you don’t have to buy two 
boards just because you have two com¬ 
puter systems. 

Now almost anyone doing serious 
software development can afford the 
most powerful debugging tool available 
short of a $10,000 in-circuit emulator! 

Imagine the competitive edge this 
gives you when you’re developing com¬ 
mercial software. Think of the time 
you’ll have to devote to new develop¬ 
ment instead of debugging current 
software. 

MMake real-time software solid . 

You can track down bugs in time- 
sensitive systems that can only be 
found when you’re running your pro¬ 
gram at full speed. 

■ Save lots of debugging time . You’ll 
find those uninitialized pointers, inter¬ 
mittent errors, and other subtle bugs 
that would take too long to find with a 
software-only debugger. 

M Optimize your code . Using the bus 
cycle information saved in the real-time 
trace buffer and Periscope’s high- 
resolution timer, you can find and 
eliminate the bottlenecks in your code. 

■ Explore your system - When you 
need to understand what’s going on in 
your system, you can examine it 
thoroughly with Periscope III. 

■ Features to whet your appetite . 

Periscope III is the most comprehen¬ 
sive, flexible, and easy-to-use product of 
its kind! Here are just a few of its 
features: 

• Set hardware breakpoints on up to 16 
ranges of memory and I/O ports 

• Qualify breakpoints with data values 
and a real-time pass counter 

• Don’t worry about zapping the 
Periscope software—the 64K of write¬ 


rs new Periscope III board is extremely 
powerful, yet easy to use. Debug your pro¬ 
gram at full speed with its hardware break¬ 
points, then examine what’s happened in 
its large real-time trace buffer. You don’t 
have to worry about zapping Periscope’s 
code, because it’s in write-protected RAM! 


protected RAM protects it from runaway 
programs 

• Capture the last 8K bus events in the 
real-time trace buffer while your pro¬ 
gram is running at full speed; specify 
that the buffer capture only trigger 
events, if that’s all you need to see 

• Display the real-time trace buffer in 
any of three formats; position the trig¬ 
ger event at the top, center, or bottom 
of the buffer 

I Protect your investment Order 
Periscope with confidence because it’s 
a proven product—it does its job and 
does it well. Periscope’s been on the 
market for over two years and it keeps 
getting better. The only debugger ever 
chosen Product of the Month by PC 
Tech Journal, Periscope is used daily by 
thousands of developers who depend 
on its flexibility and robustness. 

Under our 30-day money-back 
guarantee, you get your money back if 
Periscope doesn’t perform to your 
liking. There’s a full one-year warranty 
on the hardware. 

You get technical support and your 
first software update free of charge. We 


The 

PERISCOPE 

Company, Inc. 


notify you of subsequent 
updates for which there’s a 
nominal charge, currently 
$ 20 . 

Once you learn Periscope’s 
commands, you can easily 
use any model. Only when 
extra commands are needed 
to deal with model-specific 
hardware (there are an additional dozen 
commands in Periscope III) are there 
any differences. 

You can always trade up to another 
model of Periscope for the difference in 
price plus a small fee, currently $10. 
With the release of Periscope III, there’s 
a model that fits virtually every 
developer’s needs and budget. 

Can you afford not to try 
Periscope? 

Ask current users about Periscope’s 
price/performance. They tell us that 
Periscope pays for itself in a matter of 
hours, and that they can’t live without 
it! 

Periscope III includes a board 
with 64K of protected program 
memory, hardware breakpoints, 

& a real-time trace buffer; a break¬ 
out switch; software; a 200-page 
manual; & a quick-reference card, 
all for $995 (8 MHz) or $1095 
(10 MHz). 

Note: Periscope III works on the IBM 
PC, XT, & AT, the Compaq 286, and 
other 100% compatible machines. 

Please call to confirm compatibility 
with your machine. 

Other models of Periscope include: 
Periscope I (Board & Switch) . . $345 

Periscope II (Switch). $175 

Periscope II-X (Software only) . $145 


Call toll free 
1-800-722-7006 
for more 
information 
or to order. 


14 BONNIE LANE 
ATLANTA, GA 30328 
404/256-3860 


CIRCLE NO. 215 ON READER SERVICE CARD 






























n era’s an EGA card to get really 
excited about. 

Autoswitch. “The most versatile EGA 
board on the market today,” that “even the 
klutziest novice should have up and running 
in less than 10 minutes!’ (PC World 9/86) 
That’s partly because it has “the best docu¬ 
mentation we’ve seen for such cards!’ 
(Infoworld 7/86) 

But “what really sets Autoswitch apart 
is its ability to auto¬ 
matically select 
appropriate video 
modes from its 
extensive built-in 
assortments!’ (PC 
World 9/86) 

In other words, 
we’ve “consolidated 


the best features of other EGA clones into 
one board, and added an automatic (software) 
switching feature” (Infoworld 7/86) that 
“work(s) flawlessly.” (Byte 1/87) 

“No board has been more successful 
at improving IBM’s original idea” (PC World 
9/86), and “none simplifies the mechanics 
and widens the choices as much as Paradise’s™ 
Autoswitch EGA card!’ (Personal 
Computing 9/86) 

And that was before we introduced the 
Autoswitch EGA480 Card with 132 column 
mode, 480 vertical line resolution, and 
extended our already unbeatable range of 
software applications support. 

For the name of your local dealer, call 
(415)871-4939. 

^PARADISE 


CIRCLE NO. 230 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


AutoSwitch is a trademark of Paradise Systems, Inc. 

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. 





WHO YA GONNA CALL? 
BUGBUSTERS! 



This is how 
PROBE displays 
real-time trace 
data. Trace 
information 
includes C source 
code, assembly 
language and 
data which was 
read or written 
during instruction 
execution. 

PROBE software 
simplifies the 
display by tossing 
out prefetched but 
unexecuted 
instructions. 


— «enter> for next pt S e) 

aDDR CODE OPERMfD(S) — (*»? otter key to exit trece) 
77 ~ (»Ptr). Worker Ill. IQ = 199: 

M17S IW "* [IHTTm 

as 

0fiF7C WBITE 07 

_ («Ptr ). Worker ID. Salary - 188666] 

M17C nov K.HOU m iinrmi 
IM - 8902 


, PTM tfOMffllJ.WWE = 

0fl»:8836 « 65 6£ 72 79 88 88 03-FF FF FE 09 22 0ft 5ft 8ft - 

r OTB1 unvnmi.ME -BBB1 * * 


imiMommhm 

[ TWMOUXKRllTSdUiKl 

r’mj.winiuMQ 
r PTBJ.WOBKEBf1J.KDTTOFKIH 
['mhwmiihmom 


= BB81 
= 86818688 
= C7 
= 8811 
= nm 


PROBE knows all 
about your local 
and complex 
variables. You can 
display and 
change an array 
of structures as 
easily as shown in 
this display. 


i/ 


DElete 


COMpare 


CONsole 


DM a 


ECho 


BYte 


EDit 


ASM 


EMacro 


Sign 


EUa\ 


Fill 


List 


LOAd 


LOOp 


INTerpt 


INI t 


MAcro 


MEnu 


MODale 


FLOat 


PROBE's menu 
window means 
you do not have to 
look up debug 
commands in the 
manual. Entering 
the command 
name shows you 
command syntax. 


“Real-time source-level debugging of very large programs simply can’t be done 

without Atron’s AT PROBE. ” Ed Oates , Director of PC Software Development, Oracle Corporation 


T he good news with your new Microsoft 4.0 or Lattice* 
C compilers is that they’re providing more symbolic 
debugging information than ever. The bad news is you 
can’t fit your program, a software debugger and that monster 
symbol table into memory - at least at the same time. 

The great news is that Atron’s AT PROBE™ hardware- 
assisted software debugger not only has 1-MByte of onboard 
memory for debugger and symbol table, but it now supports 
local variables and complex data types. 

The AT PROBE is a debugging tool that plugs into your PC 
AT and monitors everything the processor is doing. In real 
time. 


With AT PROBE’s real-time trace capability, program 
execution history is saved on-boacd, in real time. Once a 
hardware trap has occurred, PROBE displays the program 
execution in detail, including symbols and source code. Real¬ 
time trace can show you how out-of-range pointers got that 
way. And there’s really no other way to debug interrupt-driven 
code. 

AT PROBE OPTIMIZES THE OPTIMIZED 

When the job of bugbusting is done, your AT PROBE 
becomes a performance analyzer. So you can have both 
reliability and performance. So you can send only the best 
software into the field. 


REAL TIME DEBUGGING. 

SOONER OR LATER, YOU KNOW YOU’LL NEED IT. 

The AT PROBE’s hardware-assisted breakpoints trap on 
reading, writing, executing, inputting and outputting. On 
single or ranges of addresses, including particular variable 
values. All in real time. For a mere software debugger to 
attempt this, a 1 minute program would take 5 hours to 
execute. 


OPTIMIZED CODE - GOOD, BAD AND UGLY 

The good news is optimizing compilers generate 
very tight code. The bad news. The time to debug 
optimized code is inversely proportional to the quality 
of the optimizer. Figuring out how in the world you 
ended up somewhere gets ugly, fast. 


CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE BUGBUSTING MANUAL 

Nine of the top ten software packages were debugged using 
Atron tools. Our complete tutorial on state-of-the-art bug¬ 
busting is yours, free. Full of examples and illustrations, it 
will show you how to become a bugbuster yourself. 

Call today. Bust bugs tomorrow. 





BUGBUSTERS 

A division of Northwest Instrument Systems, Inc. 
20665 Fourth Street • Saratoga, CA 95070 
408/741-5900 

CIRCLE NO. 203 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


♦Soon to be supported. Copyright © 1987 by Atron. AT PROBE is a trademark of Atron. IBM and Oracle own numerous registered trademarks. 


Adv. by TRBA. 








DIRECTIONS 


WILL FASTIE 


Mac II Attack 

Apple targets Corporate America. 



M acintosh. It’s a name that conjures 
up a most unbusiness-like image— 
one swirling in the mists of Apple folk¬ 
lore. It’s almost laughable to the die¬ 
hard IBM installation. It’s inconceivable 
to the power user whose AT is packed 
with fast hard disk, numeric coproces¬ 
sor, and tons of RAM, and whose 386 
machine is on order. Or is it? 

Through 1986, the Macintosh Plus 
has been the weapon with which Apple 
has been making steady inroads into 
Corporate America. More and more 
companies are coming to understand 
the tremendous benefits of a single, 
standardized user interface; substantially 
reduced training costs are a real plum. 
The Mac’s small footprint and relative 
transportability are attractive advantages. 
Microsoft’s Excel spreadsheet has won 
rave reviews, and many believe it would 
surpass Lotus 1-2-3 in popularity were it 
available for the PC; Excel is selling 
Macs. With die AppleTalk network pow¬ 
ering shared resources and providing 
basic connectivity, Apple has been able 
to offer simple, elegant, and cost-effec¬ 
tive solutions for many users. 

Now Apple has come forward with 
its new Macintosh products that signifi¬ 
cantly strengthen its marketing position 
and ability to penetrate business ac¬ 
counts. So, even though PC Tech Jour¬ 
nal has always been oriented exclus¬ 
ively to the IBM standard, we feel com¬ 
pelled to comment. 

MACINTOSH II 

The big news, although somewhat anti- 
climactic after so many months of spec¬ 
ulation, is the Macintosh II, fondly 
called the Open Mac. This is a product 
to be reckoned with. 

The machine is a full 32-bit imple¬ 
mentation of the Motorola 68020 pro¬ 
cessor operating at 16 MHz. The box in¬ 
cludes six open-architecture expansion 
slots, one of which is required for the 
Mac II video card. This new display 
adapter drives either a monochrome or 


color display with a resolution of 640- 
by-480 pixels; it can simultaneously dis¬ 
play 16 colors (an option increases that 
to 236) selected from a palette of 16 
million. The Motorola 68881 floating¬ 
point chip is standard, and the Motorola 
68851 memory management chip is op¬ 
tional. The Mac II has the Small Com¬ 
puter Systems Interface (SCSI), RS-422, 
Apple Desktop Bus (ADB), and Apple- 
Talk ports built in, as well as a four- 
channel, stereo sound facility. 

The Mac II’s bus uses the industry- 
standard NuBus architecture, a full 32- 
bit implementation that matches most 
features of IBM’s new Micro Channel 
bus, such as arbitration and better sig¬ 
nal versus noise detection. I said in last 
month’s column that with the Personal 
System/2 IBM brought minicomputer 
technology to the desktop; actually, 
Apple beat IBM by a month. 

The list price for the Mac II with 
1MB of memory, a 40MB internal hard 
disk, and the Apple extended keyboard 
is $5,598; with color monitor ($999) 
and video card ($499), the total is about 
$7,100. At first glance that might seem 
like a lot of money to invest in a desk¬ 
top machine. An inevitable comparison 
reveals a similarly equipped Compaq 
Deskpro 386 (using Compaq’s en¬ 
hanced graphics display) for $7,900. An 
IBM Personal System/2 Model 80 lists 


for $7,600. Assuming that the Mac II is 
in the same class as these 386-based 
machines, it holds a significant price ad¬ 
vantage. Keep in mind that the price of 
the IBM-standard machines does not in¬ 
clude the mouse or ports for the net¬ 
work, SCSI, and ADB. 

Whether the Mac II is really in the 
same class as a 386 machine probably 
has less to do with raw performance 
and features, and more to do with style 
and approach. The machine looks for 
all the world like a PC, with its en¬ 
hanced keyboard and its separate sys¬ 
tem unit and display. It also looks like a 
workstation, with its higher graphics 
resolution, UNIX implementation, and 
new Ethernet card. And it still looks like 
a Macintosh, with perhaps 95 percent 
(Apple’s number; others say 80 percent) 
of Mac code running unmodified. It is 
clearly several machines rolled into 
one, with nothing sacrificed. 

CAN APPLE DO IT? 

Even given Apple’s rising star (second 
quarter net sales were up 41 percent, 
the stock split, and Apple issued its first 
dividend), the Macintosh undoubtedly 
will still be a tough sell. Part of this is 
due to the image of Apple created by 
Steve Jobs’ zealotry and near fanatical 
obsession with the Mac interface and 
closed systems. Some of his vision was 


JUNE 1987 


9 


ILLUSTRATION • MACIEK ALBRECHT 
















DIRECTIONS 


right, of course, but button-down Cor¬ 
porate America had problems with his 
evangelical sales pitch for a machine 
with no slots and no software. 

Today that image is changing, but 
the potential buyer still may have to 
“get religion” to fully accept Apple. 
Business people usually prefer busi¬ 
ness-like dealings with their vendors. 
Trust in a computer company and its 
dealers is very important to a company 
that is planning to make large pur¬ 
chases, especially when Apple’s direct 
sales force is shrinking (by choice). Al¬ 
though there still may be problems get¬ 
ting the retail channel to become more 
business-oriented, I can report from 
personal experience that Apple is very 
serious, and very business-like. 

The Mac interface also may require 
the buyer to get religion. You can read 
about it over and over again and hear it 
from dozens of satisfied users, but noth¬ 
ing makes it sink in like actually using 
it. Microsoft Windows is just not the 
same, although it is moving closer. 

Apple is ahead of IBM here. Apple’s 
early commitment to the Mac interface 
as a standard gave the company a uni¬ 
fied operating environment across its 
systems that makes all applications work 
alike. It is valuable common ground 
missing from the IBM standard. 

If the buyer can get past these two 
emotional hurdles, other concerns be¬ 
gin to fall away. Yes, plenty of software 
is available—some of it improved over 
similar products for the PC because it 
exploits the Mac environment to full ad¬ 
vantage. Yes, a full complement of hard¬ 
ware and software provides IBM con¬ 


nectivity, particularly in the 3270 area. 
Yes, transportability of data from the 
Mac to the PC and back is possible, with 
many solutions from many vendors. 

And yes, a new wave of third-party add¬ 
in boards has rolled in with 86-family 
processors that run MS-DOS and PC ap¬ 
plications software (although these are 
likely to be as popular as add-in CP/M 
boards for the PC were as soon as 
people start using the Mac interface). 

There is also an easy growth path 
into networking. The inclusion of the 
AppleTalk port in every Mac and every 
Apple LaserWriter is a stroke of genius. 
When a small firm or work group takes 
the first fledgling steps toward con¬ 
nected desktops, the first goal usually is 
shared resources, most often a printer. 
Apple makes this happen with a few 
wires and connectors. Once connected, 
Macs can share data between nodes, 
and from there it is but a tiny step to 
full networking with AppleShare or 
Centram’s TOPS. All the while, the Mac 
interface hides the details. 

If network performance becomes 
an issue (number of users, transaction 
loads, etc.), the relatively low speed 
(230K bits per second) of the AppleTalk 
network may force the use of another 
network, perhaps Ethernet. Such cases 
afford many alternatives, such as using 
small AppleTalk clusters attached to an 
Ethernet backbone. Nonetheless, most 
of the details remain transparent. 

Apple’s approach to networking is 
in sharp contrast to IBM’s, whose PCs 
have no built-in ports, no built-in soft¬ 
ware, no printers that can live by them¬ 
selves on a network (there are a few 


Ethernet exceptions), and no growth 
path. The IBM world seems to require 
either an immediate jump into full- 
scale, expensive networking or a low- 
end solution with no growth potential, 
one that probably must be tossed when 
the full-scale solution is required. Apple 
really leverages the work group at the 
outset and clearly has the advantage. 

THE RISE OF THE CASUAL USER 

If nothing else, the Mac is really appre¬ 
ciated by what Rick Richardson, of 
Arthur Young in New York, calls the 
casual user. He contrasts such users 
with the power user (a term he claims 
to have coined) by pointing out that the 
casual user is interested in the result 
(what work the computer helped ac¬ 
complish), while the power user is 
more interested in the process (how 
the computer did it). Richardson says 
that his studies show the casual user is 
in the majority: about 80 percent of 
workers who could benefit from a desk¬ 
top computer are casual users. 

Corporate America is beginning to 
realize that Mac does a better job ad¬ 
dressing the needs of the casual user 
than the typical PC, and both Apple and 
IBM know that this sizable market must 
be won. Apple fired a first salvo with 
the new machines (including one for 
die power user) and is expected to fol¬ 
low quickly (the rumors say June) with 
extensions to the Mac interface that al¬ 
low multitasking. IBM has offered new, 
more integrated machines and has 
promised the new operating system 
with Presentation Manager, its built-in 
graphical user interface. 

Both Apple and IBM have high 
hopes for their new systems in Corpo¬ 
rate America. Apple expects to breach 
the IBM fortifications with machines it 
considers far superior to the IBM stan¬ 
dard. IBM expects to reestablish its 
dominance in a market it has watched 
rapidly erode. Apple is attacking; IBM is 
finally emerging from its long-standing 
defensive position. 

With the new Mac lineup, Apple 
has a strong story to tell. 

VOTE! 

From time to time, PC Tech Journal 
will include a ballot card like the one 
bound in on the previous page. We will 
use the card to get your quick opinion 
on various topics. It is not scientific, but 
as long as the results are not too dose 
they should represent your position. 

Our first question is about the new 
Macintosh II. You heard my opinion; 
now let your voice be heard. I*"1111 jij 


CROSSING THE GREAT DIVIDE 


It goes without saying that the PC 
Tech Journal audience has a heavy in¬ 
vestment in IBM and compatible desk¬ 
top equipment. That makes consider¬ 
ing the Macintosh risky unless some 
way exists to enable movement of data 
back and forth freely between the two 
worlds of IBM and Apple. 

Apple offers a 5 v 4-inch diskette 
drive and a file transfer program 
called InterFile that allows MS-DOS 
disks to be read. Third-party vendors 
provide add-in hardware to allow the 
execution of DOS and its applications 
in a Mac window; this is the “have 
your cake and eat it, too” solution. 

Networking solutions also are 
possible. Centram’s TOPS, a network 
environment, allows Macs and PCs to 
share data transparently. Apple’s 


AppleShare has similar capabilities. 
Both companies supply adapters for 
use with the IBM compatibles. 

One of the most effective data in¬ 
terchange devices may prove to be 
Microsoft Excel. This spreadsheet does 
not have the typical data import/ 
export facility. Instead, the user loads 
the desired file; thereafter, Excel saves 
it in the desired format. So, for exam¬ 
ple, Excel and 1-2-3 users can share 
the same data file, kept in 1-2-3 .WKS 
format, across the network. 

These solutions are not a total an¬ 
swer. However, expect to see an in¬ 
creasing number of applications that 
either run in both environments or in¬ 
clude specific features to deal with a 
multiuser, multivendor environment. 

—WF 


10 


PC TECH JOURNAL 












C PROGRAMMERS! 


dbJ/ISTA': fast C Database 

now offers SQL-based Query 


Performance... 

High-speed data access and low data 
redundancy ... just two benefits of 
using Raima’s network model DBMS, 
db_VISTA. Combine these benefits 
with those of C—speed, portability, 
efficiency and you begin to under¬ 
stand db_VISTA’s real measure ... 
performance. 

fast... 

It’s fast — almost 3 times faster than a 
leading competitor. Fast access that comes 
from the unique combination of the B-tree 
indexing method and the “network 
model” or direct “set” relationships 
between records. A winning combination 
for fast performance. 

new db_QUERY™ ... 

Add our new C-linkable, SQL-based, ad 
hoc query and report-writing companion 
product to provide a simple relational 
view of db_VISTA’s complex network 
model database. Without compromising 
speed. Ask for db_QUERY! 

portable... 

db_VISTA and db_QUERY operate on 
most popular computers and operating 
systems like MS-DOS, UNIX, and VMS. 
You can write applications for micros, 
minis, or even mainframes, allowing the 
same C applications to run under MS- 
DOS, UNIX, and VAX VMS. 

multi-user... 

db_VISTA has multi-user capability 
and supports simultaneous users in either 
multi-tasking or local area networking 
environments. 

here’s how... 

Design your database and compile your 
schema file with the database definition 
language processor. Develop application 
programs, making calls to db_VISTA’s C 
functions. Edit and review your database 
using the Interactive Database Access 
utility. Compile and link your C program 
with the db_VISTA run-time library, and 
your application is ready to run. 


source code... 

We make our entire C Source Code 
available so you can optimize performance 
or port to new environments yourself. 

efficient... 

db_VISTA uses space efficiently. It lets 
you precisely define relationships to 
minimize redundant data. It is non-RAM 
resident; only those functions necessary 
for operation become part of the run-time 
program. 

royalty free... 

Whether you’re developing applications 
for yourself or for thousands, you pay for 
db_VISTA or db_QUERY only once. No 
extra run-time charges. 

free support... 

Raima’s software includes free tele¬ 
phone support and software updates for 
60 days. Technical support personnel are 
available to answer questions about our 
software or yours. 

order now... 

Put db_VISTA to work in your 
application program. Ordering is easy 
— simply call toll-free. Well answer 
your technical questions and get you 
started. Call today. 


BASICS, ADVANCED, INTERNALS 
June 15-19 Seattle, WA USA 

Call for additional dates 



db_VISTA 

db_QUERY 

Single-user 


$ 195 

$ 195 

Single-user w/Source 


$ 495 

$ 495 

Multi-user 


$ 495 

$ 495 

Multi-user w/Source 

$ 990 

$ 990 

NEW: 

VAX Multi-user 

$ 990 

$ 990 

VAX Multi-user 
w/Source 

$1980 

$1980 






30 day money-back guarantee! 


dliVlSIA 

Features 

♦ Multi-user support allows flexibility to 
run on local area networks 

♦ File structure is based on the B-tree 
indexing method 

♦ Transaction processing assures multi¬ 
user consistency 

♦ File locking support provides read and 
write locks 

♦ SQL-based db_QUERY is linkable 

♦ File transfer utilities included for ASCII, 
dBASE optional 

♦ Royalty-free run-time distribution 

♦ Source Code available 

♦ Data Definition Language for specify¬ 
ing the content and organization of your 
files 

♦ Interactive database access utility 

♦ Database consistency check utility 

♦ Key file build utility 

♦ ASCII file import and export utility 

File Management Record 
and File Sizes 

♦ Maximum record length limited only by 
accessible RAM 

♦ Maximum records per file is 16,777,215 

♦ Maximum file size limited only by avail¬ 
able disk storage 

♦ Maximum of 256 index and data files 

♦ Key length maximum 246 bytes 

♦ No limit on number of key fields per 
record 

♦ No limit on maximum number of fields 
per record 

Operating System 
& Compiler Support 

♦ Operating systems: MS-DOS, PC-DOS, 
UNIX, XENIX, UNOS, ULTRIX, Micro¬ 
port, VMS 

♦ C compilers: Lattice, Microsoft, IBM, 
DeSmet, Aztec, Computer Innovations, 
Turbo C, XENIX and UNIX 


what others say... 

“If you are looking for a sophisticated C pro¬ 
grammer’s database, db__VISTA is it. Raima’s 
customer support and documentation is excel¬ 
lent. Source code availability and a royalty-free 
run-time is a big plus.” 

Dave Schmitt, President 
Lattice, Inc. 

“db__VISTA has proved to be an all-around high 
performer in terms of fast execution, flexibility 
and portability, and has undoubtedly saved us 
much time and development effort.” 

John Adelus, Hewlett-Packard Ltd. 

Office Productivity Division 


Mouuj ** 



Ill RAIMA" 

CORPORATION 


call toll-free today! 

1 (800) db-RAIMA 

(that’s 1-800-327-2462) 


3055 - 112th N.E., Bellevue, WA 98004 USA (206) 8284636 Ifelex: 6503018237 MCIUW 

















Haves" “ 


For the programmer with unlimited potential and limited 
resources, Logicsoft offers you some new surroundings. 
As the world’s largest direct distributor of PC products, 
we have a vast selection of both hardware and software 
rom leading manufacturers, all at competitive prices, 
^s, peripherals, development tools, utilities, appli¬ 
cation software and programming languages...every¬ 
thing you’ll need to create the ultimate programming 
environment. 

But here’s what really makes us special: free overnight 
delivery, custom leasing programs, free on-site main¬ 
tenance contracts on most systems, customer support, 
version guarantees on software and technical support 
(even experts need help once in a while). 

Surround yourself with the benefits of Logicsoft, and 
we’ll program you for success. 

Compilation complete. 


We welcome MasterCard, VISA, American Express, (no surcharge) C.O.D., money order, check or PO’s (please call 
for price verification) • No sales tax on orders shipped outside N.Y State • Please add 2% for insurance and handling 
($3.00 minimum) (int’l orders add’l) • We do not bill until we ship. All products covered by mfg’s warranty. Defective 
merchandise may be returned for repair or exchange only. Due to variety of product, we do not guarantee compatibil¬ 
ity. Any goods returned for credit are subject to a 10% restocking charge. All prices and policies subject to change 
without notice. 

‘FREE OVERNIGHT DELIVERY - available on orders totaling over $100. Shipped UPS. FREE, if under $100 (within 
Cont. U.S.). Due to weight restrictions, printers and monitors & some misc. bulk items are also shipped UPS, 
FREE. 


THIS MONTH’S FEATURES 


TRUE BASIC 

The Language That’s True To Its Name. $95. 
Cited by BYTE magazine as “Superior to Microsoft BASIC," 
this feature-laden structured language is fast and easy to 
use. It includes a full selection of control structures, exter¬ 
nal procedures which can be compiled into libraries, com¬ 
plete matrix algebra and a user-friendly full screen editor. 
Perfect for the programmer whose work demands a 
dynamic, big-featured language that’s simple to utilize. 

BTRIEVE & BTRIEVE/N 

A Royalty Reprieve With Btrieve. S195. 

Thanks to royalty-free Btrieve, you can take full control of 
all file creation, writing, reading, indexing, insertion, dele¬ 
tion, searching, etc., while also taking control of your 
profit margins. Through “pre-imaging," Btrieve removes 
incomplete changes from files when opened. And by build¬ 
ing function call “commands" into any language, you can 
use Btrieve with MS BASIC, MS Quick Basic, MS COBOL, 
MS Pascal, MS FORTRAN, MS Macro Assembler and MS 
C Compiler. It has mainframe specifications and also 
comes in a “N" version that supports network applications. 
All this, and don’t forget, it’s royalty free! 

C TOOLS 

The C Stands for “Convenient.” $89. 

A tool for the serious software developer, C Tools contains 
a large number of procedures and functions written pri¬ 
marily in C and supplied in source code. These include: 
functions to translate strings using a table, flexible conver¬ 
sations on a string, removing whitespace, changing case, 
etc. Also contains a general BIOS gate (letting you write 
other program functions calling BIOS interrupt routines), 
as well as a broad range of general utility and graphic 
interface functions. C Tools is the all-purpose utility collec¬ 
tion for C language programming. 

C TOOLS 2 

The 2 Means “To The Last Detail.” $69. 

C Tools 2 is the perfect companion to C Tools, augmenting 
it with a full spectrum of general-purpose utility functions 
including: stackable/removable windows that can accept 
user input, full control of available memory, interrupt serv¬ 
ice routines for resident applications, screen handling 
(including EGA 43-line text mode support & Direct screen 
access), string functions and convenient access to the 
advanced features of DOS. A must for any C programmer. 




































Microsoft COBOL Compiler 

User’s Guide 



Assemblers & Debuggers 


Communications 

\ 

\ 

CODESMITH 86 . 

. . $ 99. 

ASYNCH MANAGER (C). 

. . . . „ . $115. 

MACRO ASSEMBLER (MS). 

. . 89. 

ASYNCH MANAGER (PASCAL) . . 

_ . . 115. 

PERISCOPE 1. 

. . 235. 

GREENLEAF COMMUNICATIONS. 

. 135. 



. PTEL. 

. 115. 

Basic 


SOFTWARE HORIZONS PACK 3 . 

. 119. 

BETTER BASIC. 

. . $147. 



BETTER BASIC UTILITIES 


Utility Libraries 


8087 MATH SUPPORT. 

. . 85. 

C TOOLS PLUS. 

. $125. 

BTRIEVE INTERFACE. 

. . 85. 

CTOOLS . 

. 89. 

RUN-TIME MODULE. 

. . 179. 

CTOOLS 2 . 

. 69. 

QUICK BASIC (MS) . 

. . 67. 

C FOOD SMORGASBORD. 

. 99. 

TRUE BASIC. 

. . 95. 

C UTILITY LIBRARY. 

. 139. 



GREENLEAF FUNCTIONS. 

. 135. 

C Compilers 




LATTICE C. 

. . $249. 

Development Tools 


MARK WILLIAMS MWC-86. 

. . 359. 

C. WORTHY . 

. $259. 

MICROSOFT C. 

. . 269. 

DAN BRICKLANDS DEMO. 

. 65. 



PC-LINT. 

. 125. 

C Interpreter 


PUNK 86 PLUS . 

. 325. 

C-TERP. 

. . $219. 

PRE-C. 

. 155. 

INSTANT C. 

. . 375. 



RUN/C PROFESSIONAL. 

. . 159. 

Fortran 




MICROSOFT FORTRAN. 

. $269. 

Text Editors 


ryan McFarland fortran .. 

. 309. 


Other Languages & Utilities 

CLIPPER . $395. 

MICROSOFT COBOL...425. 

MICROSOFT COBOL TOOLS_\. 239. 

MICROSOFT PASCAL. 185. 

RYAN MCFARLAND COBOL.. 639. 

SIDEKICK.\ . . . 55. 

SUPERKEY. 45. 


LOGICLEASE - 

Allows affordable low monthly payments, helps elimi¬ 
nate equipment obsolescence, offers outstanding flexi¬ 
bility plus possible tax benefits. 24 hr. lease approval by 
phone (on orders over $1000). 

FREE ON-SITE SERVICE - 

With the purchase or lease of most systems you receive 
90 days of free service ^t your facility. Over 96 author- \ 
ized service centers to serve you throughout the U.S. 
with an average 4 hour response time. 


BRIEF.$165. 

KEDIT. 99. 

VEDITPLUS . 125. 

File Managers 

BTRIEVE .$195. 

DBASE III PLUS. 419. 

DATAEASE . 449. 


Screen Design 

CURSES . . ... : . $ 99. 

C VIEW MANAGER.t 189. 

C WINDOWS.... 149. 

ZVIEW ... . ..... 175. 


Graphics 

GSS GRAPHICS DEVELOPMENT ......’ $369. 

GSS KERNEL SYSTEM .. 369. 

HALO . 

HALO w/DR HALO II. 


219. 

299. 



CIRCLE NO. 179 ON READER SERVICE CARD 




























































EVEN MORE POWER 
AND FLEXIBILITY 

BRIEF 2.0 


Users and industry press alike have 
unanimously proclaimed BRIEF as 
the best program editor available 
today. Now, the best gets better, 
with the release of BRIEF 2.0. 

Straight from the box, BRIEF offers 
an exceptional range of features. 
Many users find that BRIEF is the 
only editor they’ll ever need, with 
features like real, multi-level Undo, 
flexible windowing and unlimited 
file size. But BRIEF has tremendous 
hidden power in its exclusive macro 
language. With it, you can turn BRIEF 


into your own custom editor con¬ 
taining the commands and features 
you desire. It’s fast and easy. 

Jerry Poumelle, columnist for BYTE 
magazine summed it all up by saying 
BRIEF is, “Recommended. If you 
need a general purpose PC program¬ 
ming editor, look no further." His 
point of view has been affirmed by 
rave reviews in C JOURNAL, 
COMPUTER LANGUAGE. DR. 
DOBB’S JOURNAL, DATA BASED 
ADVISOR, INFOWORLD AND 
PC MAGAZINE. 


One user stated “BRIEF is one of 
the few pieces of software that I 
would dare call a masterpiece.” 
Order BRIEF now and find out why. 
BRIEF 2.0 is just $195. If you already 
own BRIEF, call for upgrade 
information. 

TO ORDER CALL: 1-800-821-2492 
(in MA call 617-659-1571) 

As always. BRIEF comes with a 
30 day money-back satisfaction 
guarantee. 



Solution 
<B ystems 


335 Washington St. 
Norwell. MA 02061 
(617) 659-1571 


BRIEF 2.0 enhancements! 

at these BRlf 

Main Features: with tutorl fLanguage & 

maKhW We ' #ne , mn 

Expanded regular exp |jfie or column. 

bW " d 7ooK W** ma, '"" g cZ ' and dele ' e 

M !„d line (m m °and pS">e.e-s). 

SopP ° rt 1darless windo* „ 


. o^"•*** w,der d,sp,avs ' 
.*"*«**' ZolorOjr 


;e 

bv disk space 
•sensitive in**#** 


Requires an IBM PC or compatible with 
at least 192K RAM. 

BRIEF is a trademark of UnderWare, Inc. 

Solution Systems is a trademark of Solution Systems. 


CIRCLE NO. 130 ON READER SERVICE CARD 







LETTERS 



MAKING THE RIGHT CALL 

Regarding “Binary Transfer” by Ronald 
Florence (March 1987, p. 144), the 
packet-reading loops shown will per¬ 
form poorly on most UNIX systems. 
Good-looking code like Mr. Florence’s 
shouldn’t be nitpicked, but I have seen 
serial communications software similar 
to his program, XMODEM, degrade the 
performance of large VAXes. 

The code shown will invoke three 
system calls per incoming character. 

The problem is minimized by acquiring 
the packets with a single read of the 
right number of characters. 

Also note that the tactic of using 
alarm() calls to provoke a time-out will 
fail on some systems (that is, 4.2 BSD 
on Sun computers) because in the case 
of ttys the read( ) call will reenter as if 
nothing had happened. Setjmp() and 
longjmp( ) can be used in these cases. 

Eliot W. Dudley 
New Methods Research, Inc. 

Syracuse, NY 

Mr. Dudley is correct—reading incom¬ 
ing packets with a single read() call 
would be more efficient than using a 
loop to read a character at a time. 
However, with many UNIX systems a 
read() on a communications line may 
return fewer than the number of bytes 
requested. Reading a character at a 
time does place a greater overhead on 
the system, especially at 4800 or 9600 
baud, but the code is easy to implement. 

Using longjmp() and setjmp() 
might also be more portable than using 
the alarm() calls to trigger time-outs. I 
chose the latter option to make the pro¬ 
gram simple for non-UNIX users. 

—Ronald Florence 

TO BE MORE PRECISE 

As an early user of asystant+ and its 
parent language asyst, I commend the 
thorough treatment of the product in 
the February 1987 review (“Desktop 
Data Acquisition,” Victor E. Wright, 


p. 106). However, the reviewer should 
have done a little more serious number 
crunching, asyst has a flaw that has per¬ 
sisted since its introduction, despite nu¬ 
merous complaints to Macmillan and 
Adaptable Laboratory Software (ALS). 

In release 1.5, the language in¬ 
cluded a feature that, if a numerical re¬ 
sult were less than the value represent¬ 
able in single precision, would stop the 
program with an error message. (If in 
double precision, the same was true at 
a lower magnitude.) This will occur in 
many scientific problems, especially in 
arrays of numbers representing whole 
functions. This made the language use¬ 
less for serious computing, yet ALS re¬ 
mained adamant in not changing it. 

Finally, when parts of asystantt 
simply would not run, asyst was 
“fixed.” Release 1.53 included a 
README hie saying that such numbers 
would be set to zero, which, of course, 
they should be. I Iowever, the fix was 
flawed. A range of numbers exists near 
the lower end of both single- and dou¬ 
ble-precision numbers in which the 
program stops with the uninformative 
message, “Error 155-Invalid 8087 opera¬ 
tion.” Anyone can reproduce this mes¬ 
sage by typing IE-39 1 *. This will be 
encountered in any serious numerical 
problem sooner or later. I have had a 
problem stop after 25 minutes of com¬ 
puting, invalidating all results. 

The company’s hot line offers no 
advice on how to prevent the problem. 
At first it was suggested that inputs to 
computations be “controlled” to avoid 
that range. Macmillan has no plan to is- 
suh a general hx before the next re¬ 
lease (2.0)—this for a problem that has 
existed since the first release! The plan 
is to mail fix-up disks to those who call 
and ask. The annual fee for support is 
$275, which would seem more than suf¬ 
ficient to cover the costs of sending the 
disks to frustrated users. 

Russ Roberts, Ph.D. 

La Habra, CA 


Although I did not perform the number¬ 
crunching test that would have revealed 
the flaw described by Dr. Roberts, I 
maintain that asystant+ is a powerful 
and worthwhile program. The fact re¬ 
mains, however, that it is afflicted with 
a bug. As Dr. Roberts points out, the ex¬ 
pression “IE-39 1 *” StOpS ASYSTANT+ 
cold, with a cryptic message that says, 
“Error 155-Invalid 8087 operation. 
Press any key> to continue.So do 
similar expressions ranging from 
“IE-38 1 *” to “IE-45 1 On the 
other hand, expressions ranging from 
“IE-46 1 *” to “IE-308 1 *” do not 
produce such an error message. 

To make matters worse, pressing 
any key to continue places not one but 
two values on the stack. The first value 
is .0000 (REAL), the second is 1546 
(DP.INTEGER). Following Dr. Roberts' 
reasoning, the pause might be accept¬ 
able if an acceptable result (0) were 
produced, and calculations could con¬ 
tinue without invalidating the results 
obtained to that point. 

The problem, according to Macmil¬ 
lan, is an underflow condition. Early 
versions of asyst merely notified the user 
of this condition, as the original pro- 
grammers felt most users would not 
want to continue with calculations. An 
attempt to provide the option to con¬ 
tinue with calculations resulted in the 
current situation. Error 155 is not the 
only etror that may be encountered. 

A work-around is available. If the 
error condition is encountered in sin¬ 
gle-precision, the calculations can be re¬ 
peated in double-precision mode. Then, 
calculations can proceed with values 
past the order of IE-300. Although I 
can imagine Dr. Roberts frustration of 
losing a 25-minute calculation—having 
on several occasions lost book chapters 
and major portions of articles to the 
whims of various word processors—I 
am confident that using asystant+ is far 
superior to doing those same calcula¬ 
tions with the old Marchant calculator 


JUNE 1987 


15 
















LETTERS 


The Answer 
to your 
Debugging 
Problems 


ICD286 

Announcing 
New Features 

• Supports EMS 

• Supports Microsoft Windows 

• Supports IBM Personal System/2 

At last! An 80286 emulator which is 
affordable, compact and easy to use. 
IDEAL for development, debugging, 
testing and field service. 

FAST—Full speed, real-time emula¬ 
tion up to 10 Mhz. 

AFFORDABLE—From $2400 to 
$5600, depending on options. 

EASY TO USE—On-line HELP 
with a screen oriented display. 

KEY FEATURES: 

• Hardware/software breakpoints 

• 2048 bus cycles of real-time trace 

• 64K of emulation memory 

• Symbol and line number support 

• Source-level debugging 

• Real and' virtual (protected) mode 

suppdrt 

• Symbolic assembly/disassembly 

• Macros with parameters 

• Installs ip an IBM-PC/XT/AT* 

or compatible 

• Supports! EMS (New Features) 

• Supports! Microsoft Windows 

(Newj Option) 


For further information, please con¬ 
tact 

Amm, Soifwofte 

Corporation 

20045 Stevens Creek Boulevard 
Cupertino, CA 95014 
(408)253-7515 


♦IBM-PC/XT/AT are registered trademarks of 
International Business Machines Corporation. 


(and certainly to submitting a card 
deck to the computer department). 

I do endorse Dr. Roberts' position 
that we should expect software publish¬ 
ers to correct bugs that are pointed out 
so clearly. In fact, Macmillan Software 
does seem to be responsive to this partic¬ 
ular problem. The bug was corrected in 
asyst and is scheduled for correction in 
a future release of asystant+. 

—Victor E. Wright 

DRAFTY WINDOWS 

I read Will Fastie’s editorial comments 
on Microsoft Windows with interest 
(see “Far Afield with Windows,” Direc¬ 
tions, February 1987, p. 9), having just 
finished work on a fairly involved Win¬ 
dows application. Although I do not 
wish to defend the proposition that 
Windows is perfect, I do believe that 
the tone of the editorial was excessively 
negative for several reasons. 

First, Windows is in release 1.03. 
Does anyone remember DOS 1.0 or 
1.1? There is little question that the suc¬ 
cess of the PC-DOS/MS-DOS architec¬ 
ture was significantly promoted by the 
advent of DOS 2.0, not least of all be¬ 
cause of the superior interface given to 
the software developer. This is not to 
make excuses for the current version of 
Windows, but rather to point out that 
most software improves in revision. 

Comments that Macintosh provides 
a superior environment for develop¬ 
ment are also forgetful of the early days 
of the Mac. A fairly long interval fol¬ 
lowed the release of the Mac, during 
which the only software available for 
the machine was the original group 
(MacWrite, MacPaint, and so on). 

There is no question that program¬ 
ming for Windows involves the assimila¬ 
tion of a novel and somewhat cryptic 
methodology, a challenge even for 
those thoroughly versed in both the C 
language and the PC environment. 
However, when one considers the com¬ 
plexity of the situation—multiple pro¬ 
grams, all active simultaneously and 
sharing the same screen—this methodo¬ 
logy is only to be expected. 

Rather than complain about the 
unfamiliarity of it all, I would congratu¬ 
late Microsoft for having made all of the 
new facilities available in a logical and 
consistent (if somewhat tedious) way. 
Once the initial learning process is 
over, the peculiarities of the Windows 
environment disappear, and one is back 
to programming as usual. 

*1 would go further to say that the 
fact that the mechanics of the user in¬ 
terface are inherent in the environment 


relieves the programmer of the need to 
recode it all for each program, an im¬ 
portant factor at a time when the mar¬ 
ket is demanding both consistency and 
sophistication. Under Windows, the pro¬ 
grammer can concentrate on the logic 
of the interface and not worry so much 
about implementation, since it can be 
known in advance how it will work. 

Windows represents a major ad¬ 
vance in both user interface and PC 
programming technology. The fact that 
it does have room for improvement, 
and that it has not been received with 
universal enthusiasm, should not ob¬ 
scure this underlying reality. 

Donald J. Pajerek 
Penfield, NY 

I tried to reflect upon what I had been 
told by developers, and I heard a very 
consistent story. Nevertheless, I do not 
disagree with the points in Mr. Pajerek's 
letter. It is just that no matter what 
Microsoft has really been doing its 
people have been giving the appearance 
of doing little either to advance the 
product or to appease developers. 

We know that is not really the case, 
and in light of IBM's recent announce¬ 
ments, we know why. Still, many devel¬ 
opers who are committing their re¬ 
sources to advancing a Microsoft stan¬ 
dard feel mistreated by the company, 
which now must mend some fences. 

—WF 

We recently bought an IBM PC/AT for 
our office. It is equipped with an 80287 
numeric coprocessor, a Hercules 
Graphics Card, a monochrome display, 
a PC NT thermoprinter II, and a Micro¬ 
soft Mouse. It runs under DOS 3.2. We 
wanted to run MS Write under Win¬ 
dows, and it worked fine until we at¬ 
tempted to print. Unfortunately, Win¬ 
dows does not include a printer file for 
our printer. We tried the various printer 
files provided with Windows. For the 
most part, they produced incomprehen¬ 
sible print text, except the file for the 
HP LaserJet printer. That one printed 
our text, but the left half of the paper 
was crowded with command markers. 
We have asked an outside company to 
write the necessary software for us, but 
the software would be as expensive as 
the printer itself. Is there a more rea¬ 
sonable solution to our problem? 

Dr. Edgar Haegele 
Spatzenhausen, West Germany 

Regrettably, no. Microsoft's official posi¬ 
tion is that hardware vendors must pro¬ 
vide Windows drivers for their products. 

Continued on p. 21 


CIRCLE NO. 214 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




Microsoft 
is pleased to 
announce that 
Microsoft 

QuickBASIC 2D 

is second best 



By any measure, Micro¬ 
soft® QuickBASIC 2.0 was 
an outstanding success. 

We’d taken all the things 
people loved in the BASICA 
interpreter, and added a ton 
of advanced features to 
make a compiler that was 
fester and more advanced 
than any BASIC ever. 

A compiler that over¬ 
whelmed even the toughest 
judges: 

66 A snazzy new program¬ 
ming tool that bridges the 
gap between earlier BASICs 
and the high-performance 
languages like C!’ Peter H. 
Lewis, The New York Times, 
July 15,1986. 

66 (Microsoft QuickBASIC) 

... represents an out¬ 
standing contribution to 
the microcomputer world!’ 
Dennis Dykstra, Byte, 
February 1987* 

PC Magazine was so 
impressed, in feet, that they 
gave Microsoft QuickBASIC 
their Technical Excellence 
award Before long, Micro¬ 
soft QuickBASIC 2.0 was 
the most award-winning 
BASIC compiler ever. 

But for us, excellence 
wasn’t good enough. 

Introducing 

Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0. 

We looked for more ways 
to make BASIC better. 

Ways to make the program¬ 
ming easier and fester. 

And then we set to work on 
what became Microsoft 
QuickBASIC 3.0. 

Our first improvement 
was in debugging. Our new 
compiler includes an inte¬ 
grated debugger that is 
amply unparalleled. 

Based on the technology 
of the famous CodeView 1 " 
debugger included with our 

*© McGraw-Hill, Inc. 


C Compiler, it gives you 
complete control over your 
program and data. You 
can observe the contents 
of any variable. You have 
your choice of single-step, 
animate or trace modes. 

You can even set dynamic 
breakpoints at runtime 
while still using the source 
for reference. Which lets 
you easily trace your pro¬ 
gram’s operation without 
the bother of PRINT state¬ 
ments and recompiling. 

This debugger is 
completely integrated into 
the compiler. So you can, for 
example, start debugging 
your program while it’s 
running by simply pressing 
CTRL-Break. Instantly, the 
debugger is activated and 
you’re in control again 
Faster math. 

And faster progr ammin g. 

On PCs equipped with 
math coprocessors, Micro¬ 
soft QuickBASIC 3.0 blazes 
through calculations. Our 
new in-line 8087 code is as 
fast as you can get And 
that’s just the start of the 
speed advantages. 

66 Microsoft QuickBASIC 
is phenomenally fast in com¬ 
pilation. . .(it) outstrips all 
other compilers!’ Marty 
Franz, PC Tech Journal, 
December 1986. 

Fast compiling is nice, but 
it’s not the most important 
consideration. Program 
development time is. 

Microsoft QuickBASIC 
makes your programming 
substantially fester by inte¬ 
grating a sophisticated 
editor into the compiler itself. 

Any errors found during 
compilation trigger the 
editor to take over, putting 
your cursor right on the 


trouble spot 

And if you have more 
than one error, the editor will 
keep track of them all, 
letting you fix your bugs one 
after another. No more has¬ 
sles with the endless recom¬ 
piling of other compilers. 

Divide and conquer. 

Microsoft QuickBASIC 
gives you the power of ad¬ 
vance! languages without 
the headaches. A case in 
point separate compilation. 

Long used in languages 
like C, separate compilation 
simply means that you can 
compile your programs the 
same way you write them, 
a piece at a time. Once 
compiled, your individual 
modules can be combined 
into libraries and added to 
future programs without the 
bother of recompiling. 

But that’s just one way 
Microsoft QuickBASIC 
supports structured 
programming. 

In addition to the previous 
Microsoft QuickBASIC ex¬ 
tensions like block IF/THEN/ 
ELSE statements, Version 
3.0 adds a new set of control 
structures. Features like the 
new SELECT CASE, DO 
WHITE, and DO UNTIL make 
even the most complex pro¬ 
grams amenable to reason. 

Still the same. Only better. 

After all this work on 
improvements, we didn’t for¬ 
get what made Microsoft 
QuickBASIC the success it is. 
This compiler is still the 
leader in BASICA com¬ 
patibility. From graphics to 
sound, this BASIC com¬ 
mands the PC like no other. 

For more Microsoft 
QuickBASIC advantages, 
just turn the page. 



Introducing 

Microsoft 
QuickBASIC 3.0. 



kSYC ^2.0 




Integrated Program Debugging. 

Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0 
includes the most advanced BASIC 
debugger available. This built-in 
debugger lets you track both pro¬ 
gram flow and the contents of 
variables with ease. 

♦ Three debugging modes: single- 
step, trace, and animate. 

♦ Set, clear, and examine break¬ 
points. NEW! 

♦ Adjustable windows let you view 
source code, variable contents, 
and program output—all at the 
same time. NEW! 

♦ Display and search through 
source code while debugging. NEW! 

Advanced Integrated Editor. 

The Microsoft QuickBASIC 
Editor is integrated with the com¬ 
piler to make all your program¬ 
ming as fast and efficient as possible. 

♦ Built-in editor places cursor on 
problem in source when error 
occurs in compilation. 

♦ In contrast to other compilers 
that give up after finding a single 
error, Microsoft QuickBASIC’s 
editor keeps track of all errors 
found during compilation. No 
more hassles with recompiling 
over and over. 

♦ Editor supports both Insert and 
Overtype modes. NEW! 

♦ Fully compatible with SuperKey,® 
ProKey™ and SideKickfNEW! 

8087 Math Coprocessor Support. 

The standard Microsoft 
QuickBASIC math package has 
been enhanced to take advantage 
of numeric coprocessors in 
machines that have them. Now 
you have several ways to optimize 
your program’s performance. 

♦ Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0 
generates fast in-line code for 
machines equipped with 8087 
or 80287 coprocessors. Now 
your programs can be as fast as 
the hardware allows. NEW! 

♦ Microsoft QuickBASIC includes 
full 80-bit IEEE Math support 


for programs that demand the most 
precise calculations possible. NEW! 

♦ Choose from the Microsoft Binary 
Math routines for faster math or the 
new 8087 software emulation 
routines for more accuracy when 
you don’t have a coprocessor. 
Structured Programming Support. 

In addition to the standard 
BASICA commands, Microsoft 
QuickBASIC Version 3.0 has a 
variety of advanced statements 
and features similar to those found 
in C and Pascal. By making struc¬ 
tured programming easy, Microsoft 
QuickBASIC makes programs 
both easier to write and easier to 
maintain. Older BASIC features 
like line numbers and GOTO 
statements are strictly optional. 

♦ New statements include 
SELECT CASE, DO WHILE and DO 
UNTIL, LOOP WHILE and LOOP 
UNTIL, and EXIT. NEW! 

♦ Block IF/THEN/ELSE/END IF 
statements virtually eliminate 
any need for GOTOs. 

♦ Subprograms may be called by 
name and passed parameters. 

♦ Microsoft QuickBASIC now 
supports user-defined 
CONSTANTS. NEW! 

♦ Both true local and global 
variables are supported. 

♦ Microsoft QuickBASIC supports 
alphanumeric labels as well as 
line numbers. 

Modular Programming Support. 

Microsoft QuickBASIC’s 
separate compilation lets you 
create stand-alone programs a 
piece at a time. You just compile 
your routines and add them to a 
library. Future programs can use 
those routines by simply linking 
in your libraries. 

♦ Create stand-alone programs, 
with or without a separate run¬ 
time package. 

♦ Link support routines once at 
beginning of a programming 
session, then forget about linking. 


♦ Includes library for access to 
DOS and BIOS interrupts. 

♦ Microsoft QuickBASIC makes it 
easy to use professional support 
libraries such as Softcraft’s 
Btrieve package. 

A compiler with 
both speed and power. 

Microsoft QuickBASIC gives 
you the most advanced compiler 
features and debugging possible, 
without any speed handicaps. 
Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0 
compiles code up to an astonishing 
12,000 lines per minute on an 
IBM® PC/AT. 

Microsoft QuickBASIC also 
supports extra-large programs. 
Your programs can use all avail¬ 
able memory for any mix of code 
and data. Individual arrays may 
use up to 64K bytes each (to the 
PC’s limit of 640K). 

BASICA Compatibility. 

It’s not hard to see why 
Microsoft’s QuickBASIC is more 
compatible with IBM’s BASICA 
than any other compiler. After all, 
we wrote it for IBM. And we’ve kept 
the same features in Version 3.0. 

♦ Graphics statements include 
WINDOW, VIEW, DRAW, GET, PUT, 
LINE, CIRCLE, LOCATE, and SCREEN. 

♦ Sound statements include 
SOUND and PLAY. 

♦ Support for EGA extended 
graphics modes including the 
new 43 line mode. 

♦ Supports standard BASICA 
structures such as GOSUB/RETURN, 
while/wend, and event handling. 

Dramatic execution speed 
enhancements. 



Microsoft 

Microsoft 

Benchmark 

QuickBASIC 2.0 

QuickBASIC 3.0 

Graphics 
(500 Circles) 

21.42 

9.83 

Floating 
Point Math 

16.92 

6.48 

Quick Sort 

5.27 

3.02 


All test results in seconds. Tests were 
performed on an IBM PC/AT equipped with 
an 80287 coprocessor and an 8 MHz clock. 


= rile Edit Ulan Search 


ii I 

CONST NaxElenents = S00 

1 


'Set Nax 1 EIntents constant 

Pit! DataArray(NaxEIenents) 
OPEN "test.dat" FOR INPUT ft 



Gimp ill! FT, 

Canpilc... 

’Open data File 

fix = 1 



po 


'Get the data 

INPUT tl,Dataftrray(ix) 

j| ix = ix ♦ 1 


' First element is operation 

100P UNTIL (DataArray(ix)= 1 

SELECT CASE DataArray(l) 
CASE IS = 1 

i OR E0F(1» 

'Stop looping if reach EOF 
' or Find data = 0 

CALL StandardDeviation(Dataftrray) 
CASE 2. 12, 22, 32 


CALL FindNinlDataArray) 

CASE 3 TO 11 

' Operation is FindNin 






Programming is easier with the built-in editor 
that searches for all errors, letting you correct them 
and recompile without leaving the programming 
environment. 



Pinpoint errors by tracing through your source 
code with the integrated debugger. You can set 
breakpoints and observe the contents of variables. 


Microsoft® QuickBASIC 


For more information or the name of your nearest 
Microsoft dealer, call (800) 426-9400. In Washington 
State and Alaska, call (206) 882-8080. In Canada, 
call (416) 673-7638. 

Microsoft and the Microsoft logo are registered 
trademarks and CodeView is a trademark of 
Microsoft Corporation. SuperKey and SideKick are 
registered trademarks of Borland International, Inc. 
ProKey is a trademark of RoseSoft IBM is a regis¬ 
tered trademark of International Business Machines 
Corporation. 


Microsoft 














... one package stands out as 
the best support available for Turbo 
Pascal programmers: Blaise Com¬ 
puting’s Turbo Power Tools. This 
definitive set of prewritten Pascal 
functions and procedures will 
make the life of any programmer — 
from the beginner to the hard-core 
professional — easier and more 
productive. 


ANOTHER 
PLUSFROM 
BLAISE 
COMPUTING 


The best just got bet¬ 
ter! Turbo POWER 
TOOLS, acclaimed as 
the best programmer 
support package for 
Turbo Pascal, now has 
even more functions, more detailed docu 
mentation and more sample programs. 


NOSECRETS 


Power Tools Plus ” 

Window Routines. 
Memory Resident Routines. 

Routinely. 


Turbo POWER TOOLS PLUS is crafted so 
that the source is efficient, readable and 
easy to modify. We don’t keep secrets! We 
tell you exactly how windows are managed, 
how interrupt service routines can be writ¬ 
ten in Turbo Pascal, and how to write mem¬ 
ory resident programs that can even access 
the disk. Maybe you’ve heard of some un¬ 
documented DOS features that resident 
programs use to weave their magic. Turbo 
POWER TOOLS PLUS documents these 
features and lets you make your own magic! 

Here’s just part of the PL US 
in Turbo POWER TOOLS PLUS: 

♦ WINDOWS that are stackable, re¬ 
movable, with optional borders and a 
cursor memory. 

♦ FAST DIRECT VIDEO ACCESS for 

efficiency. 

♦ SCREEN HANDLING including 
multiple monitor and EGA 43-line 
support. 

♦ POP-UP MENUS which are flexible, 
efficient and easy to use, giving your 
applications that polished look. 

♦ INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINES 
that can be written in Turbo Pascal 
without the need for assembly lan¬ 
guage or inline code. 

CIRCLE NO. 104 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Reprinted from PC Magazine, June 10,1986 Copyright <T 


♦ INTERVENTION CODE lets you de 
velop memory resident applications 
that can take full advantage of DOS 
capabilities. With simple procedure 
calls, you can “schedule” a Turbo 
Pascal procedure to execute either 
when a “hot key” is pressed, or at a 
specified time. 

♦ PROGRAM CONTROL ROUTINES 

allow you to run other programs from 
Turbo Pascal, and even execute DOS 
commands. 

♦ MEMORY MANAGEMENT allows 
you to monitor, allocate and free DOS- 
controlled memory. 

♦ DIRECTORY AND FILE HAN¬ 
DLING support to let you take advan¬ 
tage of the newer features of DOS 
including networking. 

♦ STRING procedures al¬ 
lowing powerful trans¬ 
lation and conversion 
capabilities. 

♦ FULL SOURCE CODE 

for all included routines, 
sample programs and 
utilities. 

♦ DOCUMENTATION, 
TECHNICAL SUPPORT 

and attention to detail that 

1986 Ziff-Davis Publishing Company 


have distinguished 
Blaise Computing 
over the years. 

Turbo POWER 
TOOLS PLUS sup¬ 
ports Turbo Pascal 
Version 2.0 and 
later and is just 
$99.95. 

Another quality prod¬ 
uct from Blaise Computing: Turbo ASYNCH 
PLUS™ 

A new package which provides the crucial 
core of hardware interrupt support needed to 
build applications that communicate. 
ASYNCH PLUS offers simultaneous buffered in¬ 
put and output to both COM ports at speeds up 
to 9600 baud. The XON/XOFF protocol is sup¬ 
ported. Now it also includes the “XMODEM” 
file-transfer protocol and support for Hayes 
compatible modems. 

The underlying functions of Turbo ASYNCH 
PLUS are carefully crafted in assembler for effi¬ 
ciency and drive the UART and programmable 
interrupt controller chips directly. These func¬ 
tions, installed as a runtime resident system, 
require just 3.2K bytes. The high level function 
are all written in Turbo Pascal in the same 
style and format as Turbo POWER TOOLS 
PLUS. All source code 
$99.95. 


A 


is included for just 


BLAISE COMPUTING INC. 

2560 Ninth Street, Suite 316 Berkeley, CA 94710 (415)540-5441 

ORDER TOLL-FREE 800-227-8087 


Calif, residents call (415) 540-5441__ — — — “ 

r yES "send"m e the TOOLS Turbo gales Tax. All 

\ H Turbo POWER TOOL a resi de«ts add A ■ ^ ship ping.) 


□ Turbo 1 

OTHER- 


* domestic orders 

l Name 

' SbippibS Addl6SS ' 


.(CA 
add $10.00 for 



* Shipps _State: —- -- 

City-- ___Exp.y51'__ 

l VISA or __ 


















LETTERS 



To order or obtain a complete 
technical specification sheet call: 

1 - 800 - 847-7078 

In NY: 914-332-1875. 

55 South Broadway Tarrytown N.Y. 10591 


I lECDHAT 


The Full-Service Source for Programming Software. 


They say you can't be all things to all 
people. But Lifeboat's ADVANTAGE 
C + + proves that you can be! This 
exciting new product, developed by 
AT&T, represents a major program¬ 
ming breakthrough. 

ADVANTAGE C+ + 

• Opens the door to object-oriented 
programming. 

• Allows programs with greater resili¬ 
ence, fewer bugs. 

• Lets you write reliable, reusable code 
that is easier to understand. 


• Includes many enhancements to C, 
yet maintains full compatibility with 
existing C programs. 

• Is the key to developing large and 
sophisticated programs more pro¬ 
ductively. 

• Has all the benefits of C, without 
its limitations. 

ADVANTAGE C+ + is now available 
for the most popular C compilers, 
Lattice C and Microsoft C. 

Why be limited to just C ... when you 
can have all these pluses! 


Introducing 
The Most Important 
Programming Development 
Since The Introduction Of C... 

ADVANTAGE C+ + For MS/PC-DOS, 
Exclusively From LIFEBOAT. 


CIRCLE NO. 143 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Modudni 



140mb ESDI SpeedStor 
Subsystems for PC-ATs 




100% Compatibility with... 

■ Novell Advanced Netware 286 

■ Xenix System V 

■ All versions of DOS 

■ 286 and 386 CPUs 


$ 2,295 

Internal 

(Sug. Retail: $4,495) 


Maximum Thruput 23 msec, rotary voice coil, ESDI Interface, 10 Mbit data rate. 

Lowest Cost per MB High density ESDI drives achieve twice the storage of ST412 
products. 

Ready to Install Includes ESDI and floppy controllers, custom BIOS, all cables 
and installation guide. 

Immediate Delivery Units in stock. Shipment within 24 hours of receipt of order. 


STORAGE 

DIMENSIONS 


VAR Pricing. Corporate Accounts Welcome. 


The Experts in High Capacity PC Storage 


(408)395-2688 

981 University Ave. 
Los Gatos, CA 95030 


CIRCLE NO. 176 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Initially, Microsoft took the burden of 
development by> providing support for 
the most commonly used devices, but it 
does not intend to keep doing so. 

Until the manufacturer of your 
printer provides the driver, your only 
option is to use a word processor that 
knows about your printer. 

—WF 

dBASE WINGS CUPPED 

The article “Dialects of cIbase” by Ted 
Mirecki (April 1987, p. 46) is inaccurate 
and misleading. Mr. Mirecki states in his 
conclusion that Clipper programs are 
the slowest of all the products tested, 
including dBASE hi plus, especially in 
disk-intensive activities. I would suggest 
that Mr. Mirecki try using an application 
that is more consistent with the real 
world in his next product review. 

Granted, dBASE hi plus will sort, 
copy one file to another, and remove 
deleted records (pack) more quickly 
than a Clipper program, but this needs 
to be qualified. dBASE hi plus will per¬ 
form these tasks more quickly if that is 
the extent of the program (that is, a sin¬ 
gle program consisting of several lines 
that copies one file to another, or sorts 
a file, or removes deleted records). Sel¬ 
dom is this all that is required of a pro¬ 
gram or an application. 

I am a senior programmer for a 
consulting firm. I have been using 
dBASE ii, hi, and hi plus for four years, 
and I have used Clipper nearly from its 
introduction. I have written applications 
ranging from general ledger accounting 
to medical billing and client tracking, 
the latter being very disk-intensive. I 
started using Clipper to try to increase 
the speed of the applications. The re¬ 
sults are exactly what I expected from a 
compiler: the speeds have increased an 
average 2 to 20 times over those I expe¬ 
rienced USing dBASE III PLUS. 

How do I manage this speed in¬ 
crease with a compiler that, from all ap¬ 
pearances, performs certain disk-inten¬ 
sive tasks more slowly than dBASE hi? 

The answers are simple though they of¬ 
ten are overlooked, as they were in the 
article by Mr. Mirecki. 

First, an interpreter such as dBASE 
will load a program from the disk, then 
interpret each line. If the program runs 
another program, the interpreter must 
load it from the disk, and begin inter¬ 
preting the lines of code. A compiled 
application will hold the executable 
code for many programs in memory at 
one time, eliminating the time-consum¬ 
ing process of loading a program from 
disk each time it is called. 


22 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




















MICROSOFT LANGUAGES NEWSLETTER VOL. 2, NO. 6 


News about the Microsoft Language Family 

New Microsoft* QuickBASIC 3.0 Includes Integrated Debugger and Editor Enhancements 

It’s hard to improve on a great product like Microsoft QuickBASIC, but we’ve added and enhanced 
features inversion 3.0 that make developing programs faster and easier than ever. Integrated debugger 
enhancements let you pinpoint errors by tracing or animating through your source code. Now you can 
observe the contents of your program’s variables as the program is running. And set dynamic break¬ 
points at runtime to easily stop the program where you want. You don’t have to add STOP statements 
to your programs and wait for another compilation anymore. With the debugger completely integrated 
into the compiler, you can start debugging your program while it’s running simply by pressing 
CTRL-BREAK. 

Microsoft Quick-BASIC’s built-in editor has been enhanced to support overtype as well as the 
existing insert mode so editing your programs is easier. In contrast to other compilers that give up after 
finding a single error, Microsoft QuickBASIC keeps track of all errors found during compilation. You 
can correct all the errors at once instead of recompiling for each error. And the Microsoft QuickBASIC 
Version 3.0 editor is compatible with SuperKeyf ProKey™ and SideKick® programs. 

As in Version 2.0, Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0 supports multiple-module programming. Separate 
compilation lets you divide your program into pieces that are compiled independently. These pieces can 
be integrated into other BASIC programs without recompilation. The linker in Microsoft QuickBASIC 
makes it easy to add Microsoft Macro Assembler object files to your BASIC programs. Just assemble 
your Microsoft Macro Assembler routines and let the linker incorporate them into Microsoft QuickBASIC 
automatically. There’s no need to convert your Microsoft Macro Assembler routines into COM files 
or write them as hexadecimal numbers in your BASIC source file as in other compilers. 


Math Coprocessor Support in Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0 Speeds Programs 

Microsoft QuickBASIC now has support for the 8087 and 80287 math coprocessors. The full 80-bit 
IEEE math support of the math coprocessor is needed for programs that demand the most precise 
calculations. In addition to this, you may use the existing Microsoft Binary Math support for fast 64-bit 
math or the new 8087 emulation routines for more accuracy when you don’t have a coprocessor. 

There have also been many dramatic speed enhancements in Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0, especially 
in graphics and math. For example, Version 3.0 is 118% faster than Version 2.0 for circles. And with 
8087/80287 math coprocessor support, the floating-point math is 160% faster than in Version 2.0. 


New Microsoft QuickBASIC Language Extensions Make Programs Easier to Read 

A number of new control structures such as SELECT CASE, DO WHILE, DO UNTIL, LOOP 
WHILE, LOOP UNTIL, and EXIT have been added to Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0. These are state¬ 
ments similar to those found in Microsoft C and Microsoft Pascal. These statements, in addition to the 
block IF/THEN/ELSE/END IF (which was incorporated in Version 2.0), make structured program¬ 
ming easier. 

The new named constants make your programs more readable and easier to maintain. Subprograms 
and multi-line functions have true local variables and allow you to call them by name and pass them 
parameters. These C-like structures let you write programs that are more well organized. 


For more information on the products and features 

discussed in the Newsletter, 

write to: Microsoft Languages Newsletter 

16011 NE 36th Way, Box 97017, Redmond, WA 98073-9717. 

Or phone: 

(800) 426-9400. In Washington State and Alaska, 
caH (206) 882-8088. In Canada, call (416) 673-7638 

Microsoft and the Microsoft logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. ProKey is a trademark of RoseSoft, Inc. 
SideKick and SuperKey are registered trademarks of Borland International, Inc. 


Latest DOS Versions: 


Microsoft C Compiler 

4.00 

Microsoft COBOL 

2.20 

Microsoft FORTRAN 

4.00 

Microsoft Macro Assembler 

4.00 

Microsoft Pascal 

3.32 

Microsoft QuickBASIC 

3.00 


Look for the Microsoft Languages Newsletter every month in this publication. 


Microsoft 








LETTERS 


Second, the execution speed of 
dBASE hi plus decreases dramatically as 
more and more programs are called 
and it has to keep track of more and 
more information (file pointers and so 
on). More time and memory are allo¬ 
cated to “housekeeping,” thus slowing 
the interpretation of source code into 
executable code and execution. A com¬ 
piler can devote its time to performing 
housekeeping and execution tasks since 
the lines of code are already inter¬ 
preted and ready to execute. 


I have yet to write an application 
for which the execution speed did not 
improve with compilation, contrary to 
Mr. Mirecki’s conclusions. dBASE m plus 
is painfully slow when compared with a 
Clipper-compiled application. In every 
other article I have read comparing 
dBASE and compilers, dBASE has finished 
last in the speed department. 

Finally, I wrote a test program to 
add 900 records to an empty database 
to test Mr. Mirecki’s results. The pro¬ 
gram, when run with dBASE in plus, took 


2 minutes, 58 seconds. The same pro¬ 
gram, compiled using Clipper, ran in 9 
seconds—almost 20 times faster. The 
test was performed on an AT&T 6300 
running at 6 MHz with 640KB, DOS 
2.11, and an ST 225 20MB hard-disk 
drive. Mr. Mirecki performs a similar 
test, but his results show Clipper taking 
better than 3 times as long. Clipper, 
beyond a doubt, will add records to a 
data file much more rapidly than dBASE 
m plus. Is his result a misprint? 

Bruce Trimpop 
Echo Consulting Services, Me. 

Conway, N.H. 

1 would like to thank PC Tech Journal 
for devoting so much attention to the 
dBASE world. Based on surveys I have 
seen, dBASE users are a significant por¬ 
tion of your readership. Although this 
attention is a long time in coming, it is, 
as they say, better late than never. 

It is unfortunate, however, that in 
attempts to make amends for ignoring 
this important marketplace, you chose 
to take on the impossible task of re¬ 
viewing three products at the same 
time. In doing so, we feel, quite frankly, 
that Mr. Mirecki missed the boat. 

Clipper is much more than a sim¬ 
ple add-on product to dBASE. Nantucket 
was a pioneer in legitimizing the dBASE 
language for professional developers. 
Clipper was the first product to increase 
the performance of dBASE while, at the 
same time, expanding its language capa¬ 
bilities. It was never meant to be a 
faster dBASE interpreter. Our goal was to 
remove the barriers restricting dBASE 
programmers and provide them with 
the capabilities to produce the finest ap¬ 
plication program possible. Clipper is, 
in fact, a language in its own right with 
more than 40,000 users worldwide. We 
feel that this review did not even 
scratch the surface of Clipper’s capabili¬ 
ties. To attempt to review it in such a 
superficial fashion is insulting, both to 
Nantucket and to your readership, most 
of whom are professional developers 
and deserve better information. 

Your review does not stop at insult, 
however, but continues on to the level 
of injury by implying that Nantucket 
misrepresents the performance of Clip¬ 
per. In response, we can only say that 
we stand by our claims. 

I am not even sure how Mr. Mi¬ 
recki reached his conclusions, since the 
benchmarks showed Clipper to surpass 
dBASE in 7 of the 10 tests. Regardless, 
the benchmarks do not accurately rep¬ 
resent what programs actually do in 
real life situations. Our developers con- 


A Contradiction! 

Running Under PC DOS 

Unique formatting approach gives you >750 million bytes formatted in 
two volumes for the "Eagle" (one volume/drive) ... applications ideal for 
graphics, file server, CAD/CAM/CAE users ... fast transfer and access 
times ... variable interleave capability ... partitioning possible ... drives 
built to mainframe specifications with mainframe performance and reliability. 

For further information contact: 

Upper Bound Micro ^ 

18 Elizabeth Street, W. Conshohocken, PA 19428 
(215) 825-0505 FAX (215) 828-8618 

The "Eagle" is a trademark of Fujitsu America, Inc. 

PC DOS is a trademark of IBM. 

CIRCLE NO. 169 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



24 


PC TECH JOURNAL 





























The Name vs. The Network 


AshtonTate 



There is no other database 
management system that comes 
close to the total networkability of 
Open Access II Network. And that 
includes dBase III Plus. 

In the key criteria of multi-user 
access to network data, Open Access 
II Network beats dBase III hands- 
down. For example, with Open 
Access II Network a user can lock 
specific records from up to eight 
files while allowing other users to use 
other records of the same files. But 
with dBase III Plus, you lock one or 
all—nothing in between. The choice is 
clear, to keep your network net¬ 
working use Open Access II Network. 

Even without the network 
advantage Open Access II is the 


SOFTWARE PRODUCTS 
INTERNATIONAL 


© 1987 Software Products International, Inc. All rights reserved. 
dBase III is a registered trademark of AshtonTate. 



DBMS winner. Contrast Open Access 
ll’s completely menu-driven operation 
with dBase Ill’s limited menus. 

Open Access II Database was 
developed with Structured Query 
Language which means much briefer 
queries than dBase III. They're trying, 
but they haven’t caught up yet. 

Network or standalone, Open 
Access II is the database of choice. 

The thing to do now is see a 
demonstration. To find the Open 
Access dealer nearest you or for de¬ 
scriptive literature, call 1-800-621-7490 
(in California) or 1-800-521-3511 
(outside California). 


10240 SORRENTO VALLEY ROAD 
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92121 
(619)450-1526 








CIRCLE NO. 164 ON READER SERVICE CARD 






















































LETTERS 


centrate their efforts on those areas of 
program performance that enhance ac¬ 
tivities frequently performed in day-to- 
day operations rather than those areas 
that look good in simplistic bench¬ 
marks. In this type of situation, we look 
impressive against all competitors. 

For those readers who may have 
some doubts about Clipper, we ask only 
that they speak to a Clipper user. We at 
Nantucket are confident that they will 
attest to the quality of our product. 

Tens of thousands of application pro¬ 
grams have been written and compiled 
in Clipper in every segment of the mar¬ 
ketplace. Clipper continues to be the 
choice of professional developers inter¬ 
ested in producing state-of-the-art data¬ 
base applications. Its many enhance¬ 
ments have enabled programmers to 
develop programs impossible to accom¬ 
plish in an interpreted environment. 

We have consistendy worked to im¬ 
prove the performance and capabilities 
of the product to ensure that Clipper 
users have the finest applications tool 
available for the microcomputer. We 
are committed to continue providing 
dRASE programmers with the capabilities 
they require to stay ahead of the pack. 

For my part, I cannot say that my 
faith in reviews has been shaken be¬ 


cause rarely have I seen a review that 
reflects a real insight into what the 
product does and how it is used. For 
the most part, the product reviewers 
are not involved in applications devel¬ 
opment. Again, if you want to find out 
about what Clipper can do for you* ask 
someone who really knows what they 
are talking about—a Clipper user. 

Edward J. Brassard 
Nantucket Corporation 
Los Angeles, CA 

Whereas some products are reviewed 
one at a time, we feel that in this case it 
was preferable to present in one article 
information on three products that ad¬ 
dress one need, although admittedly in 
somewhat different ways. The key point 
is that the review covered three prod¬ 
ucts, not four—previously published re¬ 
sults for dBASE in were included as a ba¬ 
sis of comparison, not as a fourth alter¬ 
native, and certainly not to suggest that 
dBASE hi is preferable to any of the com¬ 
pilers. The purpose was to present infor¬ 
mation by which users could determine 
which one of them provides the best 
combination of the advantages a com¬ 
piler has over an interpreter: execution 
speed, source code security, and cost of 
licensing end users. 


I apologize for the erroneous state¬ 
ment in the conclusion of the article 
that Clipper programs run slower than 
the others; that comment was meant to 
apply only to disk-intensive operations. 
Of the 10 tests, Clipper tied for first in 2 
and placed second in 4. In most opera¬ 
tions, especially those with console inter¬ 
action and computations in memory, 
Clipper is both measurably and notice¬ 
ably faster than dBASE ///. 

Database operations were tested us¬ 
ing the standard suite of benchmarks 
and on the same system used for every 
one of the data manager reviews. The 
results were confirmed by several opera¬ 
tors on several different systems and 
were printed correctly. The code for the 
standard database tasks was written by 
Dave Browning for his review of dBASE 
hi plus CA Data Manager: The Evolving 
Standard,”May 1986, p. 166). It is 
available for downloading from 
PCTECHline. But as Mr. Trimpop points 
out, disk operations are not the only 
consideration in real-world applica¬ 
tions. In recognition of this fact, several 
additional tests were devised specifically 
to demonstrate those areas where com¬ 
pilers significantly outperform dBASEiii 
plus. No set of benchmarks can ade¬ 
quately represent every possible, or even 



With Vitamin C, your applications come 
alive with windows that explode into view! 
Data entry windows and menus become a 
snap. Vitamin Cs open ended design is 
full of "hooks" so you can "plug in" spe¬ 
cial handlers to customize most routines. 
Of course. Vitamin C includes all source 
code FREE, with no hidden charges. It 
always has. 


Windows 


Create windows with one easy function. 
Vitamin C automatically takes care of com¬ 
plicated tasks like saving and restoring the 
area under a window. 

Options include titles, borders, colors, 
pop-up, pull-down, zoom-in, scroll bars, 
sizes to 32k, and more. Unique built-in 
feature lets users move and resize windows 
at run-time! 


Data Entry 


Flexible dBase-like data entry and display 
routines feature protected, invisible, re¬ 
quired, and scrolling fields, picture clause 
formatting, full color/attribute control, selec¬ 
tion sets, single field and full screen input, 
and unlimited validation via standard and 
user definable routines. 


VITAMIN C 

ITs good for your system! 


High Level Functions 


Standard help handler provides context 
sensitive pop-up help messages any time the 
program awaits key strokes. So easy to use 
that a single function initializes and services 
requests by opening a window, locating, for¬ 
matting, displaying and paging through the 
message. 

Multi-level Macintosh & Lotus style 
menus make user interfaces and front ends 
a snap. Menus can call other menus, func¬ 
tions, even data entry screens quickly and 
easily. 

Text editor windows can be opened for 
pop-up note pads and general purpose 
editing. Features include insert, delete, word 
wrap, justify, cut, paste, search, and more! 


VCScreen 


With VCScreen and Vitamin C working 
together, you'll reach a new level or produc¬ 
tivity you can't reach with a function library 
alone! 

VCScreen speeds development even more! 
The interactive screen editor actually lets you 
draw input, output and constant fields, 
headings, boxes, lines, even a window for 
your froms to run in. 

VCScreen generates readable C source 
code ready to "plug in" to your application 
and link with Vitamin C. 




Guarantee 


Better than a brochure More than a demo 
disk. If you're not satisfied, simply return the 
package within 30 days and receive a full 


refund of the purchase price. 

Vitamin C.$225.00 

Includes ready to use libraries, tutorial', 
reference manual, demo, sample and 
example programs, and quick reference 
card; for IBM PC and compatibles. Specify 
compiler and version when ordering. 

Vitamin C Source..FREE* 

*Free with purchase of Vitamin C. 

VCScreen....$99.95 

Requires Vitamin C and IBM PC/XT/AT or true 
compatible. 

Shipping $3 ground, $6 2-day air, $20 over¬ 
night, $30 overseas. Visa and Master Card 
accepted. All funds must be U.S. dollars 
drawn on U.S. bank. Texas residents add 
714% sales tax. 


(214) 245-60 


Era 

■ it 



■>in 2rr<ii|i 

r«r< I « I L H9H1 


j- Bfr j 12p9f -j C a f roll ton , fexfc frSQl Ij 






















WINDOWS FOR DATA™ 


The first choice 
of professional 
C programmers 


“Windows for Data is the best 
programming tool I’ve ever used. 

It’s the most flexible I’ve seen. 
Whenever I’ve wanted to do something, 
I’ve been able to find a way.” 

Steven Weiss, 

Stratford Systems 


Professionals choose our tools because 
they are designed, crafted, and supported 
for professionals. Here at Vermont Creative 
Software, we understand that performance 
and pleasure in programming derive 
from more than a long list of functions. 
Windows for Data provides: 

PROFESSIONAL FLEXIBILITY: 

Our customers repeatedly tell us how 
they’ve used WFD in ways we never imagin¬ 
ed - but which we anticipated by designing 
WFD for unprecedented adaptability. Vir¬ 
tually every capability and feature can be 
modified to meet special needs. You will be 
amazed at what you can do with WFD. 

PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE: 

Screen output is crisp and fast. Windows, 
menus, and data-entry forms snap up and 
down from the screen. WFD is built upon 
and includes Windows for C, the win¬ 
dowing system rated #1 in speed and 
overall quality in PC Tech Journal (William 
Hunt, July 1985). 

PROFESSIONAL RELIABILITY: 

An unreliable tool is worse than no tool at 
all. VCS products are known in the industry 
for their exceptional reliability. Ask anyone 
who owns one 

PROFESSIONAL DOCUMENTA¬ 
TION: Over 600 pages of documentation 
provide step-by-step explanations for each 
major application, a reference page for each 
function, listings of functions alphabetical¬ 
ly and by usage, and a fully cross-referenced 


index. Extensive tutorials and demonstra¬ 
tion programs assist learning. 

PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL 
SUPPORT: The same expert program¬ 
mers that develop our products provide 
prompt, knowledgeable technical support. 

PROFESSIONAL PORTABILITY: 

High-performance versions of VCS 
products are available for XENIX, 
UNIX, and VMS, as well as DOS. No 
royalties on end-user applications. 


OUR CHALLENGE AND 
GUARANTEE 

If you have an application where no 
other tool can do the job, try Windows 
for Data. If it doesn’t help you solve 
your problem, RETURN FOR A FULL 
REFUND. YOU MUST BE SATISFIED. 

Ask for FREE DEMO DISKETTE 


Vermont 
Creative 
Software 

21 Elm Ave. 

Richford, VT 05476 
Telex: 510-601-4160 VCSOFT 

Tel.: 802.848-7731 

Prices: PCDOS’ $395; XENIX, VMS, UNIX Call. 
’PCDOS specify C compiler. 


WINDOWS FOR DATA 

for DOS, UNIX, VMS... 

The complete windowing data entry, menu, 
and help system that does the hard job 
others can’t — we guarantee it! 

Pop-up data entry windows; field types for 
all C data types, plus decimals, dates, and 
times; auto conversion to and from strings 
for all field types; system and user supplied 
validation functions; range checking; re¬ 
quired, must-fill, and protected fields; free¬ 
form movement; multiple-choice field entry; 
scrollable sub-forms. Branch and nest win¬ 
dows, forms, and menus. 

Complete context-sentitive help system 
with pop-up windows and scrollable text. 

Pop-up, pull-down, scrollable, and Lotus- 
style menus. 

NEW FOR DEBUGGING: Exclusive 
VCS Error Traceback System auto¬ 
matically identifies the location and 
cause of program errors. Eliminates the 
need to code error checks on all function 
calls! VCS Memory Integrity Check¬ 
ing helps catch those hard-to-detect, 
memory-corruption errors. 

NEW FOR ERROR HANDLING: In¬ 
stall your own error handler to be called 
whenever a function detects an error. 

NEW FORM LAYOUT UTILITY sim¬ 
plifies form design. 



CIRCLE NO; 115 ON READER SERVICE CARD 






LETTERS 


the most common, real-world applica¬ 
tion. We show the results of a sufficient 
number of tests so that knowledgeable 
readers can estimate the performance 
unde,r the conditions most prevalent in 
their own applications. 

Finally, contrary> to the impressions 
made on these two gentlemen, I did not 
find Clipper to be an inferior or unsat¬ 
isfactory product. As the article plainly 
stated, all three are high-quality prod¬ 
ucts, and the choice between them is dif¬ 
ficult. I presented my choices, but also, I 


hope, enough facts to allow readers to 
reach their own conclusions. 

—Ted Mirecki 

PRINTERS’ LAMENT 

I thoroughly agree with Will Fasties 
complaints about printers (“The Printer 
Standards Gulf,” Directions, January 
1987, p. 9), and I would like to add a 
few grievances of my own. 

Today, every printer has a micro¬ 
processor and always knows exactly 
where the print head is. But if I want to 


know if a page has room for another 
paragraph, I must go to endless bother 
to keep track of the print head in my 
own program. Surely, in 1987, it would 
not be too much to expect that I could 
ask the printer for this information? 

Likewise, it would not be difficult 
to punch a code pattern into the tractor 
feed strip, marking the top of the page, 
and specifying the paper size. This way, 
instead of peering into the printer look¬ 
ing for an almost invisible fold to see if 
someone has left the head halfway 
down the page, I could simply instruct 
the machine that if it were not at the 
top of the page, that it should go there, 
and report as such when it has. 

I prefer the European 11%-inch A4 
paper, but I can only tell my Epson that 
a page is so many inches, or lines, long, 
and this is not much help if I want to 
vary line spacing. It would be far more 
logical to specify everything in terms of 
feed increments, so that any size paper 
could be used. The same complaint ap¬ 
plies to WordStar and Microsoft Word, 
which both insist on using a fixed in¬ 
crement. Users have endless hassles try¬ 
ing to mediate between a program that 
thinks in %-inch units and a printer 
that feeds in ^ 72 -inch steps. 

Finally, just to prove that I am 
hopelessly idealistic, could we not have 
a simple, properly designed, standard 
bidirectional parallel port for applica¬ 
tions work such as this? At present we 
have the choice of the fiendishly com¬ 
plex and expensive IEEE-488, or the 
abominable RS-232—the only “stan¬ 
dard” that ensures that an individual, 
unique cable will be required to con¬ 
nect any given piece of equipment to 
any other given piece of equipment. 

R. H. Riordan 
Cybec Electronics 
East Brighton, Australia 

1 "iiumnii tadl 

COMMENT AT WILL 

All letters to the editor should be 
directed to Editor, PC Tech Journal , 
Suite 800, 10480 Little Patuxent Park¬ 
way, Columbia, MD 21044. Corre¬ 
spondence also can be submitted 
over MCI Mail to PCTECH. 

Although PC Tech Journal can¬ 
not publish every letter received, 
every effort is made to answer as 
many as possible. Please keep letters 
brief and to the point, and include 
name, mailing address, and tele¬ 
phone number; when a letter is 
lengthy, a diskette is appreciated. 


THE ATRON BUGBUSTERS 
BRING HARDWARE BREAKPOINTS 
TO MICROSOFT'S CODEVIEW 


You already have Microsoft’s 
CodeView.™ And you’ve seen our 
ads for the Atron hardware-assisted 
software debuggers. Right? You 
know, the Atron Bugbustersl We 
make the debugging tools used by 
9 of the top 10 software developers 
in the PC market. Now, with our 
new MiniProbe™ shortcard, you 
can use your familiar watchpoints 
and tracepoints in real time. 
Without learning new debugging 
technology. 


device. This solves the most 
common debugging problem: Out- 
of-range pointers which overwrite 
the program code or data. Often, 
the overwrite is different after each 
new compile of the program. 

The MiniProbe can also set a 
hardware breakpoint over a range 
of memory locations, helping to 
trap uninitialized pointers. And 
MiniProbe has a crash-recovery 
switch box, which lets you regain 
control of a frozen system. 


Only $395 puts 
you into world- 
class debugging. 




With real-time watchpoints and So now that you don't 
tracepoints, a one-minute program have to learn a new 
will run in one minute. Not 50 debuager, the only thing 

hours (the difference between keeping you from 

software-only debuggers and debugging like the pros is 

hardware-assisted debuggers is a $395. And our phone 
3000-to-l increase in efficiency). number: 408/741-5900. 

And if the program bug you’re Call today. Bust bugs, and 

trying to find has anything to do records, tomorrow, 
with interrupt activity, it might 
never occur when you’re debugging 

with CodeView alone. a ^ I I 10 

But with the Atron MiniProbe, Am 

you can trap events like reading THE DEBUGGER COMPANY 

and writing to memory or an IO 20665 Fourth Street# ^Saratoga, CA 95070 

© 1986 by Atron, a division of Northwest Instrument Systems, Inc. MiniProbe™ Atron. CodeView™ Microsoft. TRBA 
CIRCLE NO. 249 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


28 


PC TECH JOURNAL 






In 1981, we introduced 

the world’s most successful 
personal computer. 

Here we go again. 




Announcing the next ge 
personal computing. 


The IBM Personal Syste 


The idea behind our first PC was 
wonderfully simple. One person, one per¬ 
sonal computer. 

But as IBM® PCs grew up, and as we 
kept improving them, your requirements 
grew even faster. Clearly you needed more, 
and now it’s here. 

The new IBM Personal System/2.™ 

Its heart is a new line of hardware 
and software, but its soul is bigger; new 
technology, of course, but also a new 
“balanced system” approach for making 
things work together. 


The Personal System/2 works with 
earlier IBM PCs so you can build on in¬ 
vestments you’ve already made, and it 
works with larger IBM systems, opening 
new possibilities for your future. 

New systems. 

There are four models of the IBM 
Personal System/2: Models 30,50,60 
and 80. Together they offer an amazing 
range of performance. 

Model 30 can finish many jobs more 
than twice as fast as the IBM PC XT.™ 
Models 50 and 60 can finish work up to 



IBM Personal System/2 Model 30 IBM Personal System/2 Model 50 


IBM, AT and Personal Computer AT are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation. PC XT, “Micro Channel,” "Operating System/2,” "Personal System/2” and 
“SolutionRac" are trademarks of IBM Corporation. © Copyright 1987 IBM Corporation. 


























Deration in 


m/2. 

twice as fast as the IBM Personal Com¬ 
puter AT.® And Model 80 can do jobs up to 
three and a half times faster than the AT.® 

Depending on the model, standard 
memory goes from 640KB up to two 
megabytes (MB), expandable to 16MB. 
Fixed disk storage runs from 20MB up 
to 230MB. 

Graphics are stunning. 

Each system can paint up to 256 
colors on the screen at once, drawing 
from a palette of 256,000. And not one 
of those colors costs a penny extra. 

New performance. 

But an even bigger advance is one 
you can’t see. Models 50,60 and 80 
share a totally new design called IBM 


Micro Channel." It allows data to zip 
around more freely inside the systems. 

Today that means your software runs 
faster, but its full potential lies ahead. 

Anew IBM Operating System/2™is in 
the works. Available later on, it will make 
multi-tasking easier, memory more access¬ 
ible, and allow software to be easier to use 
and more powerful than ever before. 

New flexibility. 

And there’s much, much more. From 
new IBM displays to new IBM printers. 
From popular software that’s here now to 
powerhouse programs that are on the way. 
From rugged 3V&" diskettes to a new IBM 
200-million-byte optical disk drive. From 
new IBM SolutionPacs™ to new IBM 
Authorized Advanced Products Dealers. 

To learn more about the IBM Personal 
System/2, the person to see is your IBM 
Marketing Representative or an IBM 
authorized dealer. For the one nearest you, 
call 1-800-447-4700, ext 9. (In Alaska 
call 1-800-447-0890, in ======- 

Canada 1-800-465-6600.) 


IBM Personal System/2 Model 60 






























TECH RELEASES 



Developments for the 
s)’stems professional 



Personal System/2 Model 30 from IBM 


80386-based IBM Personal System/2 Model 80 


FROM IBM 

An entire family of microcomputers has 
been announced by IBM Corporation 
as well as a host of peripheral products, 
options, and support packages. These 
other announcements are grouped ac¬ 
cording to category. 

The IBM Personal System/2 con¬ 
sists of four systems with a range of 
eight configurations, offering a variety of 
performance, memory, and storage op¬ 
tions. All models use very large scale in¬ 
tegration (VLSI) chips and surface- 
mount technology to provide increased 
function and reliability. The custom gate 
arrays are made from high-performance, 
cool-running CMOS with circuits as 
small as 1.5 microns. They include 
graphics, memory, and processor-sup¬ 
port chips. The following are integrated 
on the system board: the diskette con¬ 
troller; parallel, serial, and pointing-de- 
vice ports; keyboard and memory func¬ 
tions; and enhanced color and mono¬ 
chrome graphics capabilities. The Sys¬ 
tem/2 family employs two types of 3^- 
inch diskette drives: one uses standard 
(720KB) diskettes, the other uses high- 
capacity (1.44MB) diskettes. 

A new bus architecture, called the 
Micro Channel, is an IBM-exclusive 
feature of the 80286- and 80386-based 
System/2 models that handles more 
data, synchronizes the entry and exit of 
data and contributes to an increase in 
processing power between 2 and 3^ 
times the PC/AT. The Programmable Op¬ 
tion Select function on the Micro Chan¬ 
nel automatically configures all add-in 
boards, handles any conflicting ad¬ 
dresses, and verifies that the boards are 
working properly—all without the need 
for manual switch settings. The Micro 
Channel enables up to 32 bits of data to 
flow to and from the processor; it sup¬ 
ports up to 15 direct memory access 
(DMA) devices with faster data rates for 
greater application throughput. 


Model 30, available in two configu¬ 
rations, is an 8-MHz, 8086-based system 
that runs 2^ times faster than the PC/XT. 
It comes standard with 640KB RAM and 
features the Multicolor Graphics Ar¬ 
ray (MCGA) enhanced graphics support. 
Model 30-002 has two 720KB diskette 
drives, and Model 30-021 has one 
720KB diskette drive and one 20MB 
hard-disk drive. Three standard 8-bit PC- 
bus expansion slots are available. A 
socket on the system board accommo¬ 
dates an 8-MHz 8087. Model 30 incorpo¬ 
rates a 64KB ROM for a start-up self test 
of system components, IBM BIOS sup¬ 
port, and BASIC language interpreter. 
This system has a color graphics subsys¬ 
tem that supports text and graphics 
modes (8-by-l 6-dot character matrix, 

256 colors in 300-by-200-pixel resolu¬ 
tion, and 2-color graphics in 640-by-480 
mode, all selected from a palette of 
more than 256,000 colors). Model 30- 
002, $1,695; Model 30-021, $2,295. 

Model 50 is a 10-MHz, 80286- 
based desktop system with 1MB of RAM 
(expandable to 7MB) and features the 
Video Graphics Array (VGA), which 
has 12,750 gates and allows the choice 
of 16 colors in 640-by-480 mode and 
256 colors (out of a possible 256,000) in 
320-by-200 mode. Three 16-bit Micro 
Channel expansion slots are available. 
There is a socket on the system board 
for a 10-MHz 80287. Model 50 has one 
1.44MB diskette drive and a 20MB hard 
disk. This system uses a 128KB ROM, 
and extra security features have been 
added to prevent tampering. $3,595. 

Model 60 is similar to Model 50, 
but is available in two floor-standing 
configurations. Model 60-041 has a 
44MB hard disk, and Model 60-071 has 
a 70MB hard disk. Both feature 1MB of 
RAM (expandable to 15MB) and one 
1.44MB diskette drive. It has a socket on 
the system board for a 10-MHz 80287. 
Seven 16-bit Micro Channel expansion 
slots are available. Model 60-041, $5,295; 
Model 60-071, $6,295. 


Model 80, built around the Intel 
80386, is available in three floor-stand¬ 
ing configurations. Model 80-041 has a 
16-MHz clock speed, 1MB RAM (expand¬ 
able to 16MB), and a 44MB hard-disk 
drive. Model 80-071 also runs at 16 
MHz, but has 2MB RAM and a 70MB 
hard disk. Model 80-111 also comes 
with 2MB RAM, but runs at 20 MHz and 
has a 115MB hard disk. All three have 
four 16-bit and three 32-bit Micro Chan¬ 
nel expansion slots. A socket on each 
system board is available for the appro¬ 
priate 16-MHz or 20-MHz 80387. Model 
80-041, $6,996; Model 80-071, $8,495; 
Model 80-111, $10,995. 

OPERATING SYSTEMS 

IBM DOS version 3.3, available now, 
supports all of the System/2 models as 
well as the entire PC line. Features in¬ 
clude several new commands as well as 
improved performance, additional com¬ 
munications ports, and support of mul¬ 
tiple DOS partitions on a hard-disk. 
$120; upgrade, $75. 

Jointly developed with Microsoft 
Corporation and scheduled for release 
in the first quarter of 1988, IBM Oper¬ 
ating System/2 (OS/2) will be a full- 
function operating system for Models 
50, 60, and 80. Three types of applica¬ 
tion environments are supported by 
OS/2: DOS, Family, and OS/2. The DOS 
environment allows many existing DOS 
applications to run unaltered. The Fam¬ 
ily environment enables an application 
to begin to exploit the functional advan¬ 
tages of OS/2, while maintaining porta¬ 
bility to DOS. The OS/2 environment al¬ 
lows the user to run multiple applica¬ 
tions concurrently. Each application, in¬ 
dividually or collectively, can use up to 
16MB of available memory. 

A built-in, graphics-based Presen¬ 
tation Manager, which supports graph¬ 
ics screens with windowing, allows the 
user to view multiple applications si¬ 
multaneously. This program will be in¬ 
cluded in OS/2 version 1.1. OS/2 will be 


32 


PC TECH JOURNAL 
































IBM Personal System/2 Model 50 



Personal System/2 Model 6 0 from IBM 


available in a Standard Edition (with¬ 
out communications or database sup¬ 
port) or in an Extended Edition (with 
an advanced relational database system 
and intersystem communications, con¬ 
nectivity, and terminal emulation). Stan¬ 
dard Edition 1.0 and 1.1, $325 each; 
Technical Reference for 1.0 and 1.1, 
$200 each; Toolkit for 1.0 and 1.1, $750 
each; Extended Edition, $795. 

DISPLAYS 

Each of the four analog displays avail¬ 
able for the System/2 features higher- 
resolution characters and images on a 
non-glare, reduced-flicker screen. They 
are fully compatible with IBM CGA and 
EGA graphics modes. 

The 12-inch Monochrome Dis¬ 
play Model 8503 features white and 
intensified-white characters against a 
black background or black characters 
against a white background. Model 8503 
has the medium addressability of a 9- 
by-16-dot character matrix and a resolu¬ 
tion of 720 by 400 pixels in text mode 
or 640 by 480 pixels in graphics mode. 
The 14-inch Color Display 8512 is a 
stripe-pitch analog display that has the 
medium addressability of a 9-by-16-dot 
matrix with a resolution of 720 by 400 



Color Display 8512 for IBM Personal System!2 


pixels in text mode or 640 by 480 pix¬ 
els in graphics mode. It can display 256 
colors simultaneously from a palette of 


more than 256,000. The Color Display 
8513 is a 12-inch medium addressabili¬ 
ty analog color display. The 16-inch 
Color Display 8514 is an analog color 
display that has the high addressability 
of both a 12-by-20-dot and a 7-by-l5-dot 
matrix with l,024-by-768-pixel resolu¬ 
tion in both graphics and text modes. 
8503, $250; 8512, $595; 8513, 4685; 

8514, $1,550. 

The Personal System/2 Display 
Adapter raises the addressability of the 
Model 30 in text mode to a 9-by-16-dot 
character matrix, provides more colors 
for the other models, and enables con¬ 
nection of the new displays to be used 
on the PC family. $595. 

The Personal System/2 Display 
Adapter 8514/A increases the functions 
of the Model 50, 60, or 80, and, when 
combined with its optional memory ex¬ 
pansion, offers a palette of more than 
256,000 colors with 256 supported on 
screen at a time and enhances perfor¬ 
mance in the 640-by-480-pixel graphics 
mode. It also allows the Monochrome 
Display 8503 to display up to 64 shades 
of gray at one time. $1,290. 

CONNECTIVITY 

The Token-Ring Network Adapter/A 

provides token-ring attachment for the 
System/2, transmitting and receiving at a 
speed of 4 million bits per second 
(Mbps). The adapter also provides up to 
16KB RAM and all the function of the 
Token-Ring Network PC Adapter II at a 
lower price. $795. 

The 8228-KT3 Token-Ring Net¬ 
work Starter Kit/A consists of one ac¬ 
cess unit, four adapters, cable sets, soft¬ 
ware, and documentation. It allows set¬ 
up of a small pilot network of the new 
systems for testing and demonstration 
of several ring functions. $4,710. 

The PC Network-Broadband 
Adapter II and II/A attach the Model 
30 and PCs (II) as well as all other Sys¬ 
tem/2 models (II/A) to the network and 
supports the Network BIOS (NetBIOS) 


and IEEE 802.2 protocols via the IBM 
IAN Support Program. $570 each. 

The PC Network-Baseband 
Adapter and Adapter/A connect the 
PC and System/2 families to the PC Net¬ 
work Baseband, taking full advantage of 
the greater processing speeds of the 
80286 and 80386. $470. 

The PC Network Baseband Ex¬ 
tender links as many as 80 worksta¬ 
tions on standard IBM cabling over a 
minimum of 200 feet (for daisy chain 
topologies) up to a maximum of 800 
feet (for star network topologies). $750. 

ROLMphone 244PC is a voice- 
and data-communications telephone 
that attaches to the System/2 for mo¬ 
dem-type access to public or private 
switched telephone networks. It sup¬ 
ports the Hayes AT command set. Price 
is not available. 

The PC LAN version 1.2 provides 
file, print, and message function for PCs 
connected in a LAN and enables users 
to share program applications and data¬ 
bases across the network. $175. 

The LAN Support Program pro¬ 
vides an IEEE 802.2 interface and a Net¬ 
BIOS interface for the Token-Ring Net¬ 
work and the PC Network (Broad- and 
Baseband) and supports both new and 
existing adapters. $50. 

The LAN Manager version 1.0 
enhances the network management ca¬ 
pability of the Token-Ring Network and 
assists the user in problem determina¬ 
tion and error recovery. As an applica¬ 
tion of NetView/PC, it can forward alerts 
to NetView running in a host and allows 
remote operation. $1,995. 

The Token-Ring Network 
Bridge Program version 1.1 passes 
bridge error information, forwards re¬ 
ports of configuration changes to the 
IBM LAN Manager, and extends the 
management capabilities across multiple 
token rings. $1,495. 

The PC Network Protocol 
Driver is a NetBIOS programming in¬ 
terface for the IBM PC Network Adapter 


JUNE 1987 


33 




















































TECH RELEASES 



IBM Personal System/2.1.16.1 Optical Disk Drive Mouse for IBM Personal System/2 


Cards II and II/A and allows the new 
Network-Broadband adapters to com¬ 
municate with adapters on existing net¬ 
works. The program supports the Net¬ 
BIOS interface with a maximum of 62 
names and 64 sessions. $700. 

The IBM Local Area Network 
Asynchronous Connection Server 
Program lets the IBM PC, System/2, 
and RT PC access asynchronous host 
computers from an IBM LAN. It also 
provides attachments to other asynchro¬ 
nous devices. $1,200. 

The 3270 Connection adapter 
card provides 3270 display station emu¬ 
lation with host file-transfer capability. 
Together with the IBM 3270 Worksta¬ 
tion Program versions 1.0 and 1.1, 
the adapter card provides up to four 
host screen sessions, six PC-DOS appli¬ 
cation sessions, and two notepad func¬ 
tions for both PC and System/2 ma¬ 
chines. The adapter card also may be at¬ 
tached to the Token-Ring Network and 
the PC Network. The 3270 Workstation 
Program 1.1 offers extended support. 
3270 Connection, $595; 3270 Worksta¬ 
tion Program 1.0 and 1.1, $495 each. 

The PC 3270 Emulation LAN 
Management Program version 1.0 
provides a small, remote LAN, with net¬ 
work management from a central site. 
This program, which runs in an IBM 
3270 Emulation Program gateway, moni¬ 
tors the LAN for failures and also pro¬ 
vides automatic alert forwarding to a 
NetView host. $995. 

The IBM 3270 Emulation Pro¬ 
gram version 3.0 provides a wide va¬ 
riety of connectivity and communica¬ 
tions configurations. This emulation 
program supports stand-alone, gateway, 
network station, and gateway/network 
station configurations. $995. 

The IBM 3278/79 Emulation 
Adapter plugs into the PC, XT, AT, 

3270 PC (both G and GX models), RT 
PC, and Model 30. Most, but not all, of 
the functions of the emulated displays 
are supported. $595. 


The IBM Enhanced 5250 Dis¬ 
play Station Emulation Adapter, 

along with the IBM Enhanced 5250 
Emulation Program version 2.12, con¬ 
nects Model 30 (or any member of the 
PC family) to the IBM System/34, /36, or 
/38, while continuing to allow the exec¬ 
ution of standard PC applications. Price 
is not available. 

The System/2 Multiprotocol 
Adapter/A provides a full- or half¬ 
duplex multiprotocol serial data trans¬ 
mission channel and supports asynchro¬ 
nous, bisynchronous, HDLC, or SDLC 
protocols. The adapter supports mod¬ 
ems or direct attachment, is program¬ 
mable to 19,200 bits per second (bps), 
and allows automatic protocol switching 
via software at set-up. $296. 

The System/2 300/1200 Internal 
Modem/A provides die capability to 
transmit data in duplex mode over Pub¬ 
lic Switched Telephone Network at 300 
or 1200 bps and supports the Hayes AT 
command set. $395. 

OPTIONS 

Several products from IBM enable users 
to exchange data between the PC family 
(with 5h-inch diskette drives) and the 
System/2 family (with 3^-inch diskette 
drives). A 3V2-inch External ($395) 
and 3^-inch Internal Diskette Drive 
($170) are immediately available for 
some models of the PC/AT and PC/XT. A 
5 1/ 4-inch External Diskette Drive 
($335) has been announced for the Sys¬ 
tem/2. An IBM Data Migration Facility 
($33) uses standard printer cable to 
transfer data from a PC to the System/2 
via the two parallel ports. 

The 3363 Optical Disk Drive, is a 
write-once, read-many (WORM) drive 
with a 200MB capacity. The 3363 is of¬ 
fered as an internal option on Models 
60 and 80 and an external option for 
Models 30 and 50. $2,950. 

The 6157 Tape Drive Adapter 
supports attachment of the IBM 6157 
Streaming Tape Drive to the System/2 


for fast save/restore and data inter¬ 
change capability. $350. 

The Personal System/2 Mouse 
has two-buttons, attaches to the point¬ 
ing-device port, and requires no addi¬ 
tional power supply or hardware. $95. 

An 8-MHz 8087 numeric coproces¬ 
sor ($310), a 10-MHz 80287 ($525), 
and a 16-MHz 80387 ($795), and an 
20-MHz 80387 ($1,195) are available 
for the appropriate System/2 models to 
perform high-speed arithmetic, logarith¬ 
mic, and trigonometric operations. 

Available for Model 30, as well as 
for the XT, AT, and 3270 PC, is the 2MB 
Expanded Memory Adapter, which 
not only has 2MB of expanded memory, 
but also comes with a standard parallel 
printer port. When utilized with the 
3270 PC Workstation Control Program 
version 1.0 or 1.1, it provides a solution 
for users who reach the 640KB limit of 
their system memory in executing large 
applications. The adapter provides ex¬ 
panded memory function for up to six 
concurrent DOS sessions, and the use 
of device drivers (expanded memory 
and virtual disk) to manipulate large 
amounts of data that expand the num¬ 
ber of applications that can be run on 
base systems. $1,295. 

For Models 50 and 60, the Person¬ 
al System/2 80286 Expanded Mem¬ 
ory Adapter/A provides 2MB of ex¬ 
panded memory function. It requires 
and supports the device drivers that are 
resident within the IBM 3270 Worksta¬ 
tion Program version 1.0 or 1.1. $1,295. 

The IBM Music Feature can gen¬ 
erate 336 voices or instruments, with as 
many as eight instruments that can be 
played at one time. A maximum of two 
adapter cards can be installed in a Sys¬ 
tem/2 computer, which brings the total 
number of notes that can be played si¬ 
multaneously to 16. $495. 

IBM Coiporation, Information Systems 
Group, 900 King Street, Rye Brook, NY 
10573; 800/426-2468 

CIRCLE 351 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


34 


PC TECH JOURNAL 
















I JLASER PLUS 
with combination | 
interface) 


Other ingred 

1 !*(*, XT, or AT it 
computer 

1 Canon-based 30< 
1 Canon IX-I2.W 


z. 

*'<£**&<'* S 00 '; r 


It makes desktop publishing 
a piece of cake! 


Tall Tree Systems 
introduces another 
breakthrough in desk¬ 
top publishing with 
JLASER PLUS. We've 
combined a 2 MB 
EMS memory board 
and an interface to 
both a Canon®-based 
laser printer and 
scanner. JLASER PLUS 
increases the perfor¬ 
mance of both devices 
and gives you a low- 
cost solution to the 
limitations you've been 
experiencing with 
them. 


Furthermore, the 
same memory that is 
made available to 
your printer and scan¬ 
ner is also available for 
all your other conven¬ 
tional applications. 

You get system mem¬ 
ory, expanded LIM 
memory, extended 
memory in an AT-type 
machine, RAM Disk 
and print spooler — 
all in a single slot! 

Supporting JLASER 
PLUS is a host of soft¬ 
ware packages, such 
as PC Paintbrush + 


r r/~ * ’'ft, ^ 


from 
ZSoft 

Dr. Halo D.P.E. 
from Media Cyber¬ 
netics, LaserGL from 
Software Express, 
Ventura Publisher from 
Xerox, Page Builder 
from White Sciences, 
Le Print from Le Baugh 
Software, Fancy Font 
and Fancy Word from 
SoftCraft, Inc., and 


many more 
to be announced. 

It takes a techno¬ 
logical innovator like 




Tall Tree 
Systems to 
provide a major 
advancement like 
JLASER PLUS. And 
we don't stop at 
performance. We also 
deliver value, which is 
truly icing on the cake. 

TALL TREE SYSTEMS 

2585 E. Bayshore Road 
Palo Alto, CA 94303 
(415) 493-1980 
Telex: 9102404041 
CIRCLE NO. 194 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


TALL TREE SYSTEMS 


Canon is a registered trademark of Canon, fnc. All software packages listed are trademarks of their respective companies. 


© 1986 by Tail'Tree Systems. All rights reserved. 














TECH RELEASES 



Proteus X-16 AT-compatible computer 



ATtain subsystem from Corollary, Inc. 


TECHNOLOGY 

The first 32-bit microprocessor chip de¬ 
veloped specifically for artificial intelli¬ 
gence applications has been produced 
by Texas Instruments (TI). The inte¬ 
grated circuit measures 1 centimeter 
square and contains 353,687 transistors. 
TI developed this LISP microprocessor 
under a government contract and is de¬ 
veloping a production version, the Ex¬ 
plorer LISP. This version will be used 
in future Explorer and defense systems 
to provide greater power than symbolic 
computers have today. 

Texas Instruments , Data Systems Group, 
P.O. Box 809063 , DSG-104, Dallas, TX 
75380-9063; 800/527-3500; 

CIRCLE 309 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

A 12.5-MHz version of the AT-compati- 
ble CHIPset has been introduced by 
Chips and Technologies, Inc. The 
12.5-MHz PC/AT CHIPSet (CS8220-12) 
has the same pin-out as the 8-MHz PC/ 
AT CHIPSet. The five-chip CHIPSet, 
combined with the Integrated Peripher¬ 
als Controller (IPC) replaces 67 of the 
94 components on the AT motherboard, 
reducing the AT-compatible designs to 
27 components, plus memory'. Price for 
a quantity of 100, $70.50. 

Chips and Technologies, Inc., 521 Cot¬ 
tonwood Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035; 
408/434-0600 

CIRCLE 310 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


SYSTEMS 

A 16-MHz, AT-compatible computer, the 
Proteus X-16, has been introduced by 
Proteus Technology Corporation. 
The Proteus comes standard with 1MB 
RAM (expandable to 4MB on the moth¬ 
erboard using additional memory 
chips), eight L/O slots, a 16-MHz Intel 
80286, a socket for the 80287, a 
diskette/hard-disk drive controller, a 


200 -watt, 110/220-volt power supply, 
three serial and two parallel ports built 
onto the motherboard, one 1.2MB and 
one 360KB diskette drive (or a 3^-inch 
internal diskette drive can replace the 
360KB drive at no additional charge), 
and an enhanced keyboard. X-16, 

$2,945; with added 40MB hard disk and 
40MB tape drive, $3,995. 

Proteus Technology Coiporation, 377 
Route 17, Aifpon 17 Center, Hasbrouck 
Heights, NJ 07604; 201/288-8629 

CIRCLE 301 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

A 10-MHz, 80286-based system, the JC 
LIPS III/286, is an AT compatible from 
JC Information Systems. JC LIPS 111/ 
286 operates at 8 or 10 MHz with a 12- 
MHz upgrade to be offered later. The 
computer has eight slots, a coprocessor 
socket, two serial ports and one parallel 
port, an enhanced keyboard, and .5MB 
RAM (which is expandable to 1MB on 
the motherboard). A 5 v 4-inch, high-den¬ 
sity diskette drive that is capable of 
reading or writing 1.2MB or 360KB 
diskettes also is included. $1,495. 

JC Information Systems, 161 Whitney> 
Place, Fremont, CA 94539; 
415/659-8440 

CIRCLE 303 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

From Leading Edge Hardware Prod¬ 
ucts, Inc. comes the company’s first 
80286-based desktop system. The speed 
of Model D2 is selectable at 6, 8, or 10 
MHz. Model D2 features a high-resolu¬ 
tion monochrome monitor with an EGA 
adapter, an enhanced keyboard, 1.2MB 
diskette drive, 640KB RAM (expandable 
to 1MB on the motherboard), and six 
expansion slots. $1,936. 

Leading Edge Hardware Products, Inc., 
225 Turnpike Street, Canton, MA 
02021; 617/828-8150 

CIRCLE 304 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Three multiuser systems have been re¬ 
leased by Gulfstream Micro Systems. 

Each system comes with 1MB RAM (ex¬ 


pandable to 15MB), one parallel port, a 
360KB diskette drive, a 60MB streaming- 
tape drive, one terminal, and XENIX. 

The 80286-based SM 286/12 sup¬ 
ports 12 users, includes five serial ports, 
and has 36MB of hard-disk storage (ex¬ 
pandable to 256MB). 

The 80386-based SM 386/20 sup¬ 
ports up to 20 users. The entry-level 
configuration also includes an 8-port in¬ 
telligent terminal controller, two paral¬ 
lel ports, and 72MB hard-disk storage 
(expandable to 600MB). 

The SM 286/34, an 80286-based 
multiprocessor using the Multibus I ar¬ 
chitecture system, is capable of support¬ 
ing as many as 34 users and a maxi¬ 
mum of 4 processors. The SM 286/34 
additionally includes a 16-port intelli¬ 
gent terminal controller, one parallel 
port, 72MB of hard-disk storage (ex¬ 
pandable to 900MB) with a caching disk 
controller. SM 286/12, $7,585; SM 386/ 
20, $16,695; SM 286/34, $24,995. 
Gulfstream Micro Systems, 1065 S. 

Rogers Circle, Boca Raton, FL 33431; 
800/443-0500; in Florida, 

305/994-6500 

CIRCLE 305 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

A multiprocessor subsystem from Cor¬ 
ollary, Inc. enables an AT running 
XENIX to support as maximum of 32 
terminals. The ATtain subsystem pack¬ 
age consists of a single-slot 80286, a 
special ATtain extended XENIX kernel, 
and an optional terminal concentrator 
unit designed to support eight termi¬ 
nals. Up to four ATtain subsystems can 
be installed in a single PC/AT to build a 
32-user system. Each ATtain 286 Proces¬ 
sor module has an 8-MHz 80286, 1MB 
of dual-ported zero-wait-state RAM, and 
two serial ports. The ATtain extended 
kernel, derived from Microsoft XENIX 
source code, serves as a replacement 
for the standard XENIX kernel object 
code. It operates with all standard 
XENIX utilities, commands, and applica¬ 
tions, and offers true multiprocessor 


36 


CIRCLE READER SERVICE NO. 200 FOR FACING AD 





















fe$3«a3i»0|ffi5>iaSSw<5 


AERODYNAMIC HEATING 

.^---•:-^^ ? i 7 ^PB?A7URe 

























































jola 


BECAUSE IT 
WORKS TOGETHER 


Introducing Tek Advanced ^ software for your PC. Tek 
PC Graphics: a fully jM Advanced PC Graphics 
integrated system of starts with a flexible mul- 

high-performance tiple-rate color graph- 

graphics, easy sys- ics monitor that provides 

temconnectivity,and 640x480Tektronix-style 

unparalleled application ^ graphics as well as EGA and 


CGA software compatibility. 

Driving your monitor to a 
whole new level of graphics 
speed is Tek’s PC4100 graph¬ 
ics coprocessor board. It 
features Texas Instruments® 
powerful TMS 34010 32-bit 



Zenographics 

















































































































Processor(GSP)? the graphics 
coprocessor board achieves 
a combination of sophisticated 
graphics and fast throughput 
your PC just couldn’t deliver 
before. The GSP assumes the 
complete graphics processing 
workload, freeing your PC pro¬ 
cessor for other requirements. 


refresh rate. So you can use 
advanced packages like 
AutoCAD? Zenographic's 
Mirage™ and VersaCAD? 

Then, to move from GSP 
graphics to emulation of the 
IBM* Enhanced Graphics 
Adapter(EGA) mode, you sim¬ 
ply soft-switch. And you're 




Graphics System Processor 
for ultra-fast throughput of your 
design applications. Add to 
that Tek’s PC-05 or PC-07 ter¬ 
minal emulation software, and 
you’re ready for stand-alone 
computing or access to a 
world of mainframe graphics. 

To bring those applications 
to life, you can connect a Tek 
color ink-jet printer. And start 
producing high-resolution, 
vibrant hardcopy output on 
either paper or transparencies. 

Couple all that with Tektronix 
worldwide support and ser¬ 
vice, and your PC can gain the 
same produc¬ 
tive advantages 
that host-based 
systems in 
scientific and 
engineering 
environments 
have had for 
close to two 
decades. 


Tek’s PC4100 
graphics 
coprocessor 
board deliv¬ 
ers serious 
graphics on a 
stand-alone 
basis. Built 
around the 
Instru- 


New companion monitor 
brings together fine detail and 
maximum flexibility. You’ll 
view your applications on Tek’s 
new multiple-rate monitor. 

In true Tek tradition, it 
provides ideally balanced, 
640x480 addressability and 
a 60 Hz non-interlaced 


Copyright © 1987, Tektronix. Inc. All rights reserved. DISSPLA and TELL-A-GRAF. ANVIL-5000, 
SAS/GRAPH, DI-3000, ANSYS and NASTRAN are registered trademarks of ISSCO, MCS, 

SAS Institute Inc., Precision Visuals, Swanson Analysis Systems and MacNeal-Schwendler 
respectively. IBM, Texas Instruments and GSP, Lotus and Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft. MS-DOS 
and Microsoft WORD and Windows, VersaCAD, AutoCAD and Mirage are registered 
trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., Texas Instruments, 

Inc., Lotus Development Corp,, Microsoft Corporation, VersaCAD Corp., 
Autodesk, Inc. and Zenographics respectively. VPT 102 11W-7050 


ready to run the popular 
PC packages you probably 
already use in CGA/EGA 
mode—standards like Lotus* 
1-2-3? Microsoft* WORD* and 
Microsoft* Windows? to name 
just a few. 

Last, but not least, Tek’s 
PC4100 links you to a world of 
mainframe graphics. All you 
do is load Tek PC-05/PC-07. 


Tek PC-05/PC-07 terminal 
emulation software gives you 
mainframe accessibility with 
the local processing power of 
your PC. Because Tek PC-05 
and PC-07 terminal emulation 
software runs under MS-DOS* 
2.0 and higher, you can run 
your mainframe-based 





























































AND SETS YOU APART. 



applications software on 
your PC as if it were a Tek 
4105 or 4107 terminal. 

Which means you can 
quickly access the power 
of Tek graphics—includ¬ 
ing 4107 segments, true 
zoom and pan, rubber¬ 
banding, definition of up to 
64 viewports and more. 

You can use these highly 
productive features with a 
wide range of well-known 
designer software pack¬ 
ages such as ISSCO's DISSPLA" 
and TELL-A-GRAF, ® MCS's 
ANVIL-5000: SAS Institute Inc.’s 
SAS/GRAPH, Precision Visuals’ 
DI-3000: Swanson Analysis 
Systems’ ANSYS* and 
McNeal-Schwendler’s 
NASTRAN. 

In addition, you can utilize 
software development tool sets 
like Tektronix PLOT 10® GKS, 

IGL, TCS and STI software as 
well as numerous driver sup¬ 
port packages created for the 
4105 and 4107. 

Completing the picture: per¬ 
fect color 
output 
with 
Tek’s 
reliable 
ink-jet 
printers. 

At the push 
of a button, 
the Tek 4696 
lets you 
produce 
exacting 
color repro¬ 
ductions of 


your on-screen display on 
either paper or transparencies. 

Because of its 120 dots per 
inch addressability in both 
horizontal and vertical direc¬ 
tions, you can achieve resolu¬ 
tion of up to 1280 points x 960 
points per “A” size image. 

All the key tools for software 
development, right from the 
outset. The new Tektronix 
Graphics Interface"(TGI) for 
the PC provides the basics of 
Tek graphics functionality to 
application programs 


running under MS-DOS. 
What’s more, in-circuit 
emulator, C-compiler, 
assembler and linker are 
all available from Texas 
Instruments to help soft¬ 
ware developers write 
applications packages for 
the PC4100 graphics 
coprocessor board. 

To enable sufficient 
workspace for custom 
interfaces or specific 
application programs, the 
PC4100 graphics coprocessor 
board comes standard with a 
full megabyte of program 
memory. 

Put yourself on the sure path 
of Tek graphics evolution. 

Whether you choose Tek PC 
stand-alone graphics, Tek’s 
high-resolution monitor, Tek 
terminal emulation or all three, 
you can be assured Tek will 
keep you current with the best 
and most productive graphics. 
Because like all our products, 
Tek Advanced PC Graphics 
features a smooth built-in path¬ 
way to higher-level graphics. 

For more information 
about how Tek 
lets you 
stand alone 
and work 
together, 
contact your 
local Tek rep¬ 
resentative 
about Tek 
Advanced PC 
Graphics. Or call, 
1-800-225-5434. In 
Oregon, 1-235-7202. 



TEK GRAPHICS 
PROCESSING SYSTEMS 



Tfektronix 

COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE 










Emulex HP 144 modem delta pump 


80286-based CS-4220 from Cordata Corporation 


scheduling, load balancing, and re¬ 
source allocation. Other features in¬ 
clude a 230-Kbaud serial port that 
serves as a communications link with an 
optional Corollary Terminal Concentra¬ 
tor. The CMOS microprocessor-based 
Terminal Concentrator allows eight RS- 
232 terminals to be connected to an AT- 
tain Processor. No setting of switches or 
jumpers is required at installation. AT- 
tain 286 Processor, $1950; ATtain ex¬ 
tended kernel, $250; Corollary Terminal 
Concentrator; $750. 

Corollary, Inc., 18011/E Skypark Circle, 
P.O. Box 18977, Irvine, CA 92713; 
714/250-4040 

CIRCLE 307 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Two entry-level AT compatibles are 
available from Cordata Technologies, 
Inc. Based on the Intel 80286, the Cor¬ 
data Systems 4200 Series of slim-line 
desktop personal computers feature a 
small footprint of 18.25 by 16 inches 
and operates at a speed of 8 MHz with 
one wait state. The CS-4210 comes 
standard with two half-height 360KB 
diskette drives, and the CS-4220 has a 
half-height 20MB hard disk with the 
controller configured on the mother¬ 
board. Both models have 640KB RAM, 
built-in clock/calendars, serial and paral¬ 
lel ports and a socket for an optional 
80287. CS-4210, $1,695; CS-4220, $2,195. 
Cordata Technologies, Inc., 275 E. Hill- 
crest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360; 
805/375-1500 

CIRCLE 302 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


CONNECTIONS 

Proteon, Inc. has announced the avail¬ 
ability of vines, a virtual networking sys¬ 
tem from Banyan Systems, Inc. vines 
is a network server for Proteon’s 4- 
Mbps ProNET-4 token-ring network. 
ProNET-4 network conforms to the IBM 
Token-Ring Network implementations, 
as well as the IEEE 802.5 standard, so 


vines users can mix ProNET-4 and IBM 
Token-Ring PC Adapter interfaces on 
the same vines network. Banyan’s vines 
operates with Proteon’s ProNET-4 pi340 
hardware interface in a PC and with the 
ProNET-4 pi344 interface in an AT. 
These interfaces also plug into the Ban¬ 
yan Network Servers (BNSs) to support 
a high-performance, file-server-based 
networking system. Banyan vines/286 
software for ProNET (p5713), $1,895; 
Banyan/BNS, $14,995 to $21,995; Ban- 
yan/DTS desktop server, $9,995 to 
$16,995; ProNET-4 support for existing 
BNSs that support ProNET-10, $1,000. 
Proteon, Inc., Two Technology ; Drive, 
Westborough, MA 01581-5008; 
617/898-2800 

CIRCLE 311 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Banyan Systems, Inc., 135 Flanders 
Road, Westborough, MA 01581; 
617/366-6681 

CIRCLE 312 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

A network interface from Proteon, 

Inc. that complies with the IEEE 802.5 
standard has been developed for the 
p4200 Gateway. Designated the p4210, 
this interface is an addition to Proteon’s 
product line of multiprotocol, multinet¬ 
work routers. The p4210 network inter¬ 
face plugs into the p4200 Gateway, 
which supports ProNET-4, -10, and -80 
(4-, 10-, and 80-Mbps token-ring net¬ 
works), Ethernet, ARPANET, Tl, and 56- 
Kbps wide area networks. The gateway 
can operate these various interfaces si¬ 
multaneously while supporting most 
communications protocols. Only one 
Proteon Gateway is required for multi¬ 
protocol networking freedom. The gate¬ 
way’s network interfaces support any 
combination of communications media 
including fiber optics, infrared, micro- 
wave, coaxial, twisted pair, or the IBM 
Cabling System. $3,590. 

Proteon, Inc., Two Technology> Drive, 
Westborough, MA 01581-5008; 
617/898-2800 

CIRCLE 313 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Emulex Corporation has entered the 
host-independent, data communications 
marketplace with two product an¬ 
nouncements. The HP144 and HP96 
are compact, low-power consuming, 
high-speed modem data pumps that op¬ 
erate at top data speeds of 14,400 bps 
and 9,600 bps respectively. Intended for 
use by OEMs who require full-duplex, 
four-wire, leased-line modem function 
and occasional half-duplex, dial-backup 
operation, these completely CMOS- 
based modems can use dedicated, un¬ 
conditioned lines or operate over the 
general, switched telephone network. 
The HP144 and HP96 modem pumps 
feature CCITT V.33 standard compatibil¬ 
ity with automatic equalization, pro¬ 
grammable tone-generation, diagnostic 
capability, and loopback test capabili¬ 
ties. The HP144 modem data pump is 
CCITT V.33 compatible and operates at 
14,400 bps using eight-state, Trellis¬ 
coded modulation. The 12,000-bps fall¬ 
back mode specified by CCITT V.33 is 
also provided. The HP144 supports the 
use of in-band signaling during modem 
training to identify the chosen option, 
interleaving up to six channels of time 
division multiplexed (TDM) data 2,400 
to 12,000 bps in accordance with CCITT 
V.33. HP144, $700; HP96, $365. 

Emulex Corporation, 3545 Harbor 
Blvd., P.O. Box 6725, Costa Mesa, CA 
92626; 714/662-5600 

CIRCLE 315 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

A high-performance Ethernet hardware 
interface for networks using Advanced 
NetWare LAN operating systems soft¬ 
ware is available from Novell, Inc. The 
NetWare E-Net adapter, which uses 
an eight-bit bus, includes an on-board 
transceiver that allows connection to ei¬ 
ther thick or thin Ethernet cabling con¬ 
figurations. Taking advantage of low- 
power CMOS chips, the board reduces 
power consumption and fits on a half¬ 
sized card. The NetWare E-Net is avail¬ 
able for network file servers and PC 


CIRCLE READER SERVICE NO. 200 FOR FACING AD 


41 

















TECH RELEASES 



Pocket 

Modem 


ftutaLie, stale- of-thd-art 
Qxnmunicatkvis 

/Ml GENT 



RF.lAY Silivrfrom VM Personal Computing 


LAN workstations. It is compatible with 
other Ethernet adapters offered by No¬ 
vell, including the 3COM 3C505, 3COM 
3C501, InterLAN NP600A, and InterLAN 
5010. Although the E-Net uses a differ¬ 
ent driver, all boards can coexist on die 
same NetWare network. The E-Net 
makes use of the National Semiconduc¬ 
tor’s DP8390 Network Interface Control¬ 
ler, 8KB of high-speed RAM for buffer 
storage, and direct memory access to 
and from the 8088-based machines. It 
uses string I/O in 80286-based machines 
for fast data transfer to the host ma¬ 
chine’s memory. $495. 

Novell, Inc., 122 E. 1700 S, Provo, UT 
84601; 800/453-1267; in Utah, 
801/379-5900 

CIRCLE 316 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

A PC-compatible facsimile (FAX) board 
manufactured by Gulfstream Micro 
Systems can send and receive docu¬ 
ments to and from any Group III FAX 
machine communicating at 9600 bps 
(bits per second). EZ-Fax can transmit 
an average page of text in 15 seconds 
over normal dial-up telephone facilities 
anywhere in the world. EZ-Fax hard¬ 
ware consists of a serial port, a scanner 
port, a telephone port, and a speaker 
for call-progress monitoring. 

EZ-Fax software consists of two 
programs. One, the EZ-Fax Communica¬ 
tions Manager, is a multitasking pro¬ 
gram that provides background capabili¬ 
ties, such as transmitting and receiving; 
conversion from ASCII to FAX, FAX to 
printer, and FAX to Graphic Display 
concurrent with transmit, receive, and 
scan; and printer spooling. The second 
program, EZ-Fax File Manager, is win¬ 
dows oriented and has foreground ca¬ 
pabilities, such as sending of ASCII hies, 
paper (scanned) hies, or graphic hies; 
dehning and maintaining the EZ-Dial di¬ 
rectory; allowing scheduled events and 
prior activity to be viewed; performing 
installation configuration; and giving 
printer dehnitions. 


Options for EZ-Fax include: EZ- 
Code, a coding program that incorpo¬ 
rates the National Bureau of Standards 
Data Encryption Standard; EZ-Data, a 
300/1200-bps, Hayes-compatible data 
modem on a piggyback board; and EZ- 
Scan, a 300-dpi (dots per inch) desktop 
scanner that reads hard-copy docu¬ 
ments. EZ-Fax, $1,495; EZ-Code, $195; 
EZ-Data, $129; EZ-Scan, $895. 

Gulfstream Micro Systems, 1065 S. 
Rogers Circle, Boca Raton, FL 33431; 
800/443-0500; in Florida, 

305/994-6500 

CIRCLE 318 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

An addition to the family of communi¬ 
cations programs from VM Personal 
Computing has been announced, re¬ 
lay Silver includes a script language 
with learn mode, memory-resident op¬ 
eration, and an Application Program In¬ 
terface (API). Menu-driven operation 
and context-sensitive help are available, 
yet advanced users can bypass menus 
or make the software totally command 
driven. The memory-resident operation 
allows the user to send and receive hies 
simultaneously while other DOS appli¬ 
cations are being run. relay Silver sup¬ 
ports the XMODEM and Kermit proto¬ 
cols as well as the bidirectional relay 
protocol, relay Silver has all of the ad¬ 
vanced features currently found in VM’s 
reiay Gold except for the capability of 
communication with VM’s mainframe 
software, relay Silver $150; upgrade 
from reiay to relay Silver, $40. 

VM Personal Computing, 41 Kenosia 
Avenue, Danbury, CT 06810; 
800/222-8672; in Connecticut, 
203/798-3800 

CIRCLE 322 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

The family of StarLAN local area net¬ 
work products from Western Digital 
Corporation (WD) has been enlarged 
with the introduction of StarCard 
PLUS, a PC adapter card (conforming to 
the IEEE 802.3 1BASE5 standard) that 


Battery-pou ered Pocket Modem MM1200from Migenl 

provides a network station interface to 
the 1-Mbps StarLAN network. It con¬ 
nects the computer to the StarLAN net¬ 
work at any StarLAN-compatible hub, 
such as WD’s 10-port StarHub and can 
operate with WD’s StarCard and Star- 
Link products on the same network. It 
has a shared memory interface, a dual- 
ported 8KB memory that can be ac¬ 
cessed directly by the PC without PC di¬ 
rect memory access channels. StarCard 
PLUS runs with a wide selection of net¬ 
work software. Drivers are provided for 
its ViaNet software and Novell’s Ad¬ 
vanced Netware. The NetBIOS/OSI In¬ 
terface Program supports applications 
such as Torus Tapestry, Microsoft MS- 
NET, and the IBM PC Network. The 
board operates in PCs with system 
clocks as fast as 16 MHz. 

Also introduced was the Ether- 
Card PLUS, WD’s first Ethernet/Thin 
Ethernet PC adapter board that has an 
architecture in common with the Star- 
Card PLUS and can use the same LAN 
operating system drivers. StarCard PLUS, 
$299; EtherCard PLUS, $399. 

Western Digital Corporation, 2445 
McCabe Way, Innne, CA 92714; 
714/863-0102 

CIRCLE 319 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

An external, battery-powered modem 
has been released by Migent, Inc. The 
Pocket-Modem MM1200 measures 1.3 
by 2.5 by 5.0 inches, weighs 9 ounces, 
and mounts directly to the serial port of 
the PC. Operating at 300 or 1200 bps 
(bits per second), the MM 1200 is com¬ 
patible with both the Hayes AT and Bell 
212 command sets. The Pocket-Modem 
has surface-mount technology; non-vola¬ 
tile, 28-character memory; dual phone 
jacks; busy-signal and dial-tone monitor¬ 
ing; remote ring and tone sensing; and 
audible, low-battery indication via the 
PC speaker. The MM 1200 has neither a 
DIP-switch configuration nor a power 
switch (the modem turns off automati¬ 
cally when the computer is turned off). 


42 


PC TECH JOURNAL 













While you’re asleep, your PC application can 
transfer a day’s worth of data files to your IBM 
mainframe. And while you’re awake, Attachmate’s 
Application Program Interface (API) does even 
more, including fast log-on/log-off, multiple sessions, 
custom user screens, and security. 

If MIS programming backlogs are slowing down 
your production, our API will breathe new life 
into old mainframe applications with fresh user 
interfaces and screens. 

All this under a secure, IBM compatible umbrella. 
In fact, Attachmate software, including API, will 
run on your existing IBM coax and SDLC adapters. 

Discover the most powerful 3270 connectivity prod¬ 
ucts ever made for the PC. Discover Attachmate. 


Our Quick Reference Guide for 
Micro-Mainframe Communications 1 
has a handy competitive comparison 
chart. Call for your free copy today. 

1 - 800 - 426-6283 


Attachmate Corporation 

3241 118th S.E., Bellevue, WA 98005 

(206)644-4010 




Micro-Mainframe Technology: We put our heart in it! 


Copyright ®1987, Attachmate Corporation. 

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. 


CIRCLE NO. 165 ON READER SERVICE CARD 








































ACS Telecom 10-Disk!386 file-server expansion kit 


CORIitape and CT60T tape drive from CORF International 



The Migent Pocket-Modem comes com¬ 
plete with communications software 
and user’s guide. $259. 

Migent, Inc., 865 Tahoe Blvd., P.O. Box, 
6062, Incline Village, NV 89450-6062; 
702/832-3700 

CIRCLE 314 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT 

Shipment has begun on version 3.0 of 
the QuickBASIC Compiler from 
Microsoft Corporation. Version 3 0 
offers an improved debugging environ¬ 
ment, new extensions to the BASIC lan¬ 
guage, and in-line support for the 8087 
and 80287. CodeView, an enhanced de¬ 
bugger offered with Microsoft C and 
FORTRAN compilers, is now included 
with QuickBASIC. Version 3.0 supports 
named constants. Execution speeds for 
floating point and graphics has been in¬ 
creased. QuickBASIC 3 0 keeps track of 
all errors found during a compilation. 
Afterward, the cursor is placed on the 
first error. The QuickBASIC editor is in¬ 
tegrated with the compiler and supports 
insert and overtype modes. A separate 
compilation feature allows a program to 
be divided into modules for indepen¬ 
dent compilation. These modules can 
be kept in libraries and linked into 
other programs, without recompiling. 
$99; upgrade, $30. 

Microsoft Customer Sen ice, 16011 N.E. 
36th Way, P.O. Box 97017, Redmond, 
WA 98073-9717; 800/426-9400; in 
Washington, 206/882-8088 

CIRCLE 326 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

A specific version of the UNIX System 
V operating system for Intel’s 80386 has 
been announced jointly by AT&T and 
Microsoft Corporation. The product 
will incorporate Microsoft’s XENIX Sys¬ 
tem V compatibility into AT&T’s UNIX 
System V release for 80386-based ma¬ 
chines. It will be distributed under 
AT&T’s trademarked name—UNIX—and 


will be available in early 1988. AT&T 
will continue to market UNIX System V 
and Microsoft will continue to market 
XENIX System V during development of 
the 80386 implementation. Applications 
written for Microsoft's XENIX System V 
and for UNIX System V will run on the 
implementation for the 80386 without 
any modification required. 

AT&T, Data Systems Division, 100 
Southgate Parkway, Morristown, NJ 
07960; 800/247-1212; in New Jersey’, 
201/898-8000 
CIRCLE 329 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Microsoft Corporation, 16011 N.E. 36th 
Way, P.O. Box 97017, Redmond, WA 
98073-9717; 800/426-9400; in Wash¬ 
ington, 206/882-8088 

CIRCLE 330 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

A software-based expanded memory 
manager for 80386-based PCs is avail¬ 
able from Quarterdeck Office Sys¬ 
tems. The Quarterdeck Expanded 
Memory Manager-386 (QEMM) ena¬ 
bles users of software programs that 
take advantage of the Lotus/Intel/Micro¬ 
soft expanded memory specification 
(LIM EMS), to access expanded memory 
on a 80386-based PC without an ex¬ 
panded memory board. QEMM uses the 
80386’s virtual-86 machine mode to 
emulate expanded memory using the 
80386’s extended memory. When 
QEMM is used with Quarterdeck’s 
DESQview multitasking environment, a 
user can run a maximum of nine pro¬ 
grams that all use expanded memory 
for data simultaneously. $59.95. 
Quanerdeck Office Systems, 150 Pico 
Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405; 
213/392-9851 

CIRCLE 328 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PERIPHERALS 

A file-server expansion kit for the Com¬ 
paq Deskpro 386 has been released by 
ACS Telecom. Designed for compati¬ 


bility with leading LANs, the 10-Disk/ 
386 expansion kit increases the storage 
capacity and speed of the Deskpro 386. 
The 10-Disk/386 system can add up to 
630MB of hard-disk storage to the Desk- 
pro 386. With a 10-Mbps data transfer 
rate, a 1-to-l interleave factor, and 
lower disk-access times, these expan¬ 
sion drives are designed to increase 
processing speed. The expansion kit 
also uses up to 8MB of high-speed, 32- 
bit, static-column RAM to cache most 
disk-read requests with an intelligent 
most-frequently-used algorithm. The 
system is compatible with the built-in 
Compaq controller, for a combined to¬ 
tal of 760MB. Prices start at $5,595. 

ACS Telecom, 25825 Eshelman Avenue, 
Lomita, CA 90717; 213/325-3055 

CIRCLE 308 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

CORE International has introduced, 
CORE HC40, a 40MB ESDI 5^-inch 
hard-disk drive with an average access 
time of 10 milliseconds and a data 
transfer rate as fast as 800KB per sec¬ 
ond when using a CORE HC Series 
controller. These speeds are achieved 
by using voice coil technology with a 
fast actuator. For accuracy the HC40 is 
designed with an advanced servo mech¬ 
anism. The FIC40 is protected not only 
with shock mounting, but also auto¬ 
matic head parking and locking over a 
dedicated landing zone. 

An external version of its CORE- 
tape backup system, the CT-60E, also 
has been announced by CORE. This 
unit incorporates features for portabil¬ 
ity—small size (5 7 & by 10^16 by 3Hi 
inches), light weight (4.5 pounds), and 
a built-in handle. Optional controller 
cards are available that make multiple 
machine backups possible. The CT-60E 
uses one 62-pin cable for data and con¬ 
trol signals as well as the power con¬ 
nection. With this one-cable solution, an 
additional power supply is unnecessary, 
allowing the unit to reduce its fan noise 
and weight. The COREtape software is 


44 


PC TECH JOURNAL 

















Toshiba’s XM-2000 CD-ROM optical drive 

compatible with XENIX, DOS, and No¬ 
vell 286 2.0A, and backs up in either 
image or file-by-file and will do a file- 
by-file restore of an image backup. A 
catalog option allows the user to back 
up single files, complete or partial di¬ 
rectories, or single files from multiple 
directories. HC40, $2,995; HC Series 
controller, $545; CT-60E, $1,595. 

CORE International, 7171 N. Federal 
Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33431; 
305/997-6055 

CIRCLE 341 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

The Disk Products Division of Toshiba 
America, Inc. has developed the XM- 
2000, a CD-ROM optical drive that fea¬ 
tures both audio and digital capability 
and up to 680MB of storage capacity. 
The XM-2000 delivers data with a fast 
average access time of 240 milliseconds 
using a voice coil actuator, which re¬ 
places the more conventional (and 
slower) DC motor found in audio CD 
products. High densities are achieved 
by allowing a continuous spiral groove 
with only 1.6-millimeter spacing be¬ 
tween adjacent tracks. The recording 
surface is sealed by a protective coating, 
thus the information is virtually indes¬ 
tructible. Available in OEM quantities. 
Toshiba America, Inc., Disk Products Di¬ 
vision, 3910 Freedom Circle, Suite 103, 
Santa Clara, CA 95054; 408/727-3939 

CIRCLE 340 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

From Hewlett-Packard (HP) comes a 
20 -page-per-minute, advanced paper¬ 
handling laser printer that is targeted 
for multiuser environments and features 
increased graphics memory with 34 in¬ 
ternal fonts. The HP LaserJet 2000 
printer series is available in three con¬ 
figurations. Model 2684A has the fol¬ 
lowing features: it is compatible with 
the HP Printer Command Language 
(PCL); it comes standard with 1.5MB 
RAM, full-page, 300-dpi (dots per inch) 
raster graphics; and it contains two 250- 
sheet input bins and a 1,500-sheet, cor¬ 


rect-order output bin. Model 2684P 
has the same features as the 2684A, plus 
a third paper-input bin that holds 2,000 
sheets of 8^-inch or European A4 pa¬ 
per. Model 2684D has the same fea¬ 
tures as the 2684P, plus automatic two- 
sided (duplex) printing. All three mod¬ 
els have a monthly print volume of 
70,000 pages. RS-232/422, Centronics, 
and Dataproducts’ Short Line and Long 
Line interfaces are available. The stan¬ 
dard RAM of the HP LaserJet 2000 is ex¬ 
pandable in 1MB increments up to a to¬ 
tal of 5.5MB. A number of special sym¬ 
bol sets (such as mathematical, scien¬ 
tific, and international) are available for 
the different typefaces and type sizes 
(ranging from 8-point to 14-point). The 
HP LaserJet 2000 can support three dif¬ 
ferent HP LaserJet printer cartridge 
fonts simultaneously as well as all HP 
LaserJet downloadable soft fonts and 
electronic forms. Model 2684A, $19,995; 
2684P, $21,495; 2684D, $24,995; 1MB 
add-on memory module, $750. 

Inquiries Manager, Hewlett-Packard, 
1820 Fmbarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 
94303; 800/367-4772 

CIRCLE 335 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

A parallel processor (80188) that runs 
as fast as 10 MHz and allows any two in¬ 
dependent software applications to be 
run simultaneously has been created by 
I-Bus. The IQ188 runs DOS 3.0 or 3.1 
software, provides up to 1MB of dual- 
ported RAM, and functions as a hard¬ 
disk controller that can be accessed by 
the PC or the IQ 188 processor. Batch 
multitasking and interactive windowing 
environments are fully supported. Pro¬ 
cessing capabilities can be expanded 
with additional cards. A hard disk of up 
to 32MB can be attached to the IQ188’s 
controller, and each processor can ac¬ 
cess this memory. Two serial ports on 
the IQ 188 operate at 34.8 Kbps and 
support SDLC/HDLC/SNA bit-synchro¬ 
nous communications protocols. It also 
has one parallel port and a battery- 


Datah'lex revision 2.2 from Data Access Corporation 


backed clock/calendar, which can be ac¬ 
cessed by the PC’s main processor. 
256KB, $1,345; 1MB, $1,495. 

1-Brn, 5730 Chesapeake Court, San 
Diego, CA 92123; 800/328-4229; in 
California, 619/569-0646 

CIRCLE 342 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


DATA MANAGEMENT 

The multiuser applications development 
database system from Data Access 
Corporation has been revised. Data- 
Flex revision 2.2 features window-like 
screen-handling techniques that allow 
the user to create pop-up help screens, 
data-entry forms within other data-entry 
forms, and user prompts. An added 
command allows a DataFlex program’s 
execution to be interrupted while an 
operating-system-level command is exe¬ 
cuted; upon completion of the external 
command or program, DataFlex is re¬ 
sumed from the point of suspension. 
The revision 2.2 update has a reduced 
compilation time and an improved 
REINDEX program for better perfor¬ 
mance in creating and maintaining in¬ 
dexes. Internally defined integer vari¬ 
ables have been expanded from two 
bytes to four bytes. A utility has been 
added, called dB-READ, that converts 
dBASE data files to DataFlex data files 
and creates a DataFlex data-entry pro¬ 
gram to handle multiuser database 
maintenence. For single-user PCs and 
XENIX systems, $995; for LAN and 
multiuser configurations, $1,250; for 
UNIX and VAX/VMS computers, $1,800 
to $8,000. 

Data Access Corporation, 8525 S.W. 
129th Terrace, Miami, FL 33156; 
305/238-0012 

CIRCLE 325 ON READER SERVICE CARD Imiimim SSI 


The material that appears in Tech Releases is 
hosed on vendor-supplied information. These 
products have not been revieu’ed by the PC 
Tech Journal editorial staff 


JUNE 1987 


45 















The fastest C 


Your search for execution speed is over. 
The new Microsoft®C Compiler Version 4.0 
is here. With blazing performance. We’ve 
added common sub-expression elimination 
to our optimizer that produces code that 
rips through the benchmarks faster than 
ever before. 

“.. the Microsoft performance in the benchmarks 
for program execution is the best of the lot overall!’ 
—William Hunt, PC Tech Journal, January, 1986? 

But speed isn’t the only edge you get with 
Microsoft C. Other advantages include a vari¬ 
ety of memory models like our new HUGE 
model that breaks the 64K limit on single 
data items. Plus our NEAR, FAR and HUGE 
pointers, which provide you greater flexibility. 
All this allows you to fine tune your program 
to be as small and fast as possible. 

“Excellent execution times, the fastest register 
sieve, and the best documentation in this review 
... Microsoft Corporation has produced a 
tremendously useful compiler.”—Christopher 
Skelly, Computer Language, February, 1986. 

No more debugging hassles. 

Introducing CodeView. Free. 

Now, for a limited time, well give you an 
unprecedented programming tool when you 
buy Microsoft C, free. New Microsoft Code¬ 
View™ offers the most powerful tool yet in 



the war on C bugs. Forget the hex dumps. 
Now you can view and work with programs 
at any level you want. Use the program 
source, the disassembled object code, or 

- 1 

Microsoft C Compiler Version 4.00 
Microsoft C Compiler 

♦ Produces fast executables and optimized code including elimination 

of common sub-expressions. NEW! 

♦ Implements register variables. 

♦ Small, Medium and Large Memory model libraries. 

♦ Compact and HUGE memory model libraries. NEW! 

♦ Can mix models with NEAR, FAR and the new HUGE pointers. 

♦ Transport source and object code between MS-DOS® and XENIX® 
operating systems. 

♦ Library routines implement most of UNIX™ System V C library. 

♦ Start-up source code to help create ROMable code. NEW! 

♦ Full proposed ANSI C library support (except clock). NEW! 

♦ Large number of third party support libraries available. 

♦ Choose from three math libraries and generate in-line 8087/80287 
instructions or floating point calls: 

— floating point emulator (utilizes 8087/80287 if installed). 

— 8087/80287 coprocessor support. 

— alternate math package — extra speed without an 8087/80287. 

♦ Link your C routines with Microsoft FORTRAN (version 3.3 or 
higher), Microsoft Pascal (version 3.3 or higher) or Microsoft 
Macro Assembler. 

♦ Microsoft Windows support and MS-DOS 3.1 networking support. 

♦ Supports MS-DOS pathnames and input/output redirection. 

Microsoft Program Maintenance Utility. NEW! 

♦ Rebuilds your applications after your source files have changed. 

♦ Supports macro definitions and inference rules. 

Other Utilities 

♦ Library Manager. 

♦ Object Code Linker. 

♦ EXE File Compression Utility. 

♦ EXE File Header Utility. 

C Benchmarks i n seconds 


Sieve of 
Eratosthenes 

Microsoft 
C 4.0 

Lattice 

C 3.0 

Computer 

Innovation 

C 2.3 

Aztec 
C86 3.2 

Wizard 
C 3.0 

(register) 

82.9 

151.4 

172.3 

88.0 

91.9 

Copy Block 

86.9 

231.7 

199.0 

123.8 

189.5 


Run on an IBM PC XT with 512K memory 


Microsoft CodeView 

Window-oriented source-level debugger. NEW! 

♦ Watch the values of your local and global variables and expressions 
as you debug. 

♦ Set conditional breakpoints on variables, expressions or memory; 
trace and single step. 

♦ Watch CPU registers and flags as you execute. 

♦ Effectively uses up to four windows. 

♦ Debug using your original source code, the resulting disassembly 
or both intermingled. 

♦ Use drop-down menus to execute CodeView commands. 

♦ Access the on-line help to lead you through CodeViews options 
and settings. 

♦ Easily debug graphics-oriented programs since program output is 
kept separate from debugger output. 

♦ Keyboard or optional mouse support. 

♦ Enter in familiar SYMDEB or DEBUG commands. 


•Reprinted from PC Tech Journal, January 1986. copyright 1986, Ziff-Davis Publishing. 







you ve ever seen* 


Take the $5 CodeView tour* 

You may find it hard to believe our debug¬ 
ger can do all we’ve claimed. So were offering 
test drives. Five bucks will put you behind 
the wheel of a Microsoft C demo disk with 
CodeView. + See for yourself how fast debug¬ 
ging can get. 

For more information about the Code¬ 
View demo disk, the new Microsoft C 
Compiler, a list of third party library sup¬ 
port or the name of your nearest Microsoft 
dealer, call (800) 426-9400. In Washington 
State and Alaska, (206) 882-8088. In Canada 
caH (416) 673-7638. 



Microsoft* C Compiler 

The High Performance Software 

Microsoft. MS-DOS and XENIX are registered trademarks and CodeView is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. UNIX is a 
trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. fOffer expires 12/31/86. 


both at the same time. Open a window to 
view CPU registers and flags. Watch local 
and global variables as well All while your 
program is running. 

CodeView gives you complete control. 
Trace execution a line at a time—using 
source or assembly code. Or set conditional 
breakpoints on variables, memory or expres¬ 
sions. CodeView supports the familiar 
SYMDEB command syntax, as you’d expect. 
Commands are also available through drop¬ 
down menus. Combine the new window- 
oriented interface with our on-line help and 
debugging has never been easier. Or quicker. 


CIRCLE NO. 140 ON READER SERVICE CARD 












Announcing the First Annual 
PC Tech Journal Systems Forum 


IBM Changes the Rules Again! 

IBM challenges users and vendors alike to change what have become 
industry-standard computers and an industry-standard operating system. 
Whether or not you like the PS/2 workstations and now think you may need 
the undelivered benefits of the OS/2 operating system, your computer 
buying, development, and integration decisions will be affected by IBM's 
calculated risk. 

What may have been prudent hardware and software decisions in March of 
1987, may become dangerous by July. If you are involved in the selection, 
integration,-and development of desktop computer products—particularly, if 
you operate in a connected environment—you probably have already begun 
to rethink your computing options for 1987 and beyond. 

IBM has made a bid to recapture its market share by establishing new stand¬ 
ards for desktop computing with higher performance machines and a new 
operating system (OS/2) with promised multitasking, multiuser capabilities, 
as well as integrated communications and an integrated SQL-compatible 
database. 

Do You Need to Follow the Leader? 

If AI/XT class machines and PC-DOS are soon to become obsolete , should 
you look beyond IBM for other advanced technology solutions? What about 
the Macintosh? What about UNIX—after all, it's already multiuser and mul¬ 
titasking? 

What About Applications Development in a 
Changing Environment? 

Desktop workstations will be at the heart of an increasingly complex appli¬ 
cations development environment with different operating systems, different 
hardware systems, and an increasing need to link both like and unlike 
machines and software. 

Moreover, applications are being built with powerful new tools: object- 
oriented/AI languages, desktop-based data management software. Are tradi¬ 
tional programming languages—COBOL, FORTRAN, BASIC, and so on— 
ultimately doomed? 

Can successful micro-based DBMS products migrate to the mainframe/mini 
universe or will the mainframe heavyweights such as Cullinet, Cincom, 
Oracle, etc. shove them aside as their own products migrate to the desktop 
computer? 

The Systems Forum Brings User, Developer, and 
Integrator Organizations Together to Sort 
Through These Tough Systems Issues 

Hundreds of members of the corporate computer community will join with 
manufacturers, developers, resellers, and consultants to tackle the tough 
issues in no-holds-barred panel discussions and audience question-and- 
answer sessions. You also will have plenty of time to talk informally with 
your peers who are building, integrating, and maintaining complex hard¬ 
ware and software systems. You can talk to the vendors whose products you 
are trying to make work, or which you may be considering for purchase. 


join Us in September 
in San Diego to Tackle 
the Tough Systems Issues 

























Panel Discussions Will be Timely, Technical, Relevant, and Lively 


Panel topics focus on real world problems that demand solutions. 
Your users, your clients, and your vendors share concerns about the 
best way to build, buy, and integrate desktop workstations within a 
connected environment. Stand alone issues are fading as multiuser 
and multitasking hardware and software reach the desktop. Here are 
some of the issues well be tackling: 

1 . The PS/2: Rebirth of the IBM Standard. 

A horde of systems integration issues surround IBM's PS/2 workstations thanks to 
its new microchannel bus, its new graphics standard, and its 3V2 inch diskette. 
Out with the old and in with the new? What is the short-term and long-term 
added value of the PS/2. Are clones still a viable alternative? What can add-on 
vendors add on? 

2. OS/2: Operating system of the 1990s ? 

Is OS/2 the desktop operating system you've really been waiting for? Is it fast 
enough? Is multitasking enough? Will the compatibility box suffice for hundreds 
of DOS applications? Will new OS/2 applications offer enough value to justify an 
expensive conversion? Can you afford to wait until 1988 for release 1.0. 

3. The Macintosh: The Resurgence of an alternative 
standard. 

Has the Mac become a logical desktop choice in the corporate world? Do its new 
32-bit architecture, open design, windowing, and inherent friendliness already 
exceed what's being promised by IBM and Microsoft for 1988 and beyond? Is 
IBM compatibility essential as long as you can communicate? Is Apple the only 
microcomputer vendor not hurt by IBM's new machines? 

4. UNIX: Not just for Techies anymore! 

It may be big and it may be complex, but it's already multiuser and multitasking— 
and its available now. On an 80386 machine equipped with UNIX do you really 
have an ideal platform for a host of workstation applications? Is UNIX the most 
intelligent applications bridge between unlike machines (no need to wait for 
APPC and LU 6.2)? 

5. Applications Development: Beyond 3rd Generation 
toward Al. 

just how different are the new object-oriented/AI languages from COBOL, FOR¬ 
TRAN, C, BASIC, etc.? Are LISP, PROLOG, etc. necessary for expert systems? 
How are user companies building Al/expert system applications? 

6. Developing Applications in a Multiuser/Multivendor 
Environment 

How do you build an application that must reside on more than one type and 
size of machine? What parts should fit where? How do you optimize perform¬ 
ance in a connected environment? What is the ultimate developer's workstation? 

7. Optimizing LAN Performance. 

Getting acceptable performance from a local area network involves much more 
than hooking up the cables and installing the network software. Careful LAN 
selection is the first critical step and depends on the number and type of users, 
the intended applications, and the extent to which gateways and bridges are 
required. Once those choices are made, LAN tuning is critical. 


8. Linking Unlike Machines. 

IBM PC with PC-DOS to IBM PS/2 with OS/2 to IBM 370 with MVS to DEC VAX 
with UNIX to Macintosh to a 3-COM network to a Novell network. Making these 
kinds of connections is increasingly necessary—but still hazy after all these 
years. People, computers, data, and applications are widely distributed. IBM has 
some theoretical, announced and planned solutions—APPC, LU 6.2, SAA, SNA, 
and OS/2 extensions—but what are users and vendors doing right now to make 
the connections? What's blue sky and what's real world? 

9. Database Management on LANs. 

In principle, the number of MIPS available on the server and on individual 
desktops should yield impressive data management capabilities—-rivaling mul¬ 
tiuser micros, minis, and some mainframes. In fact, LAN and DBMS product 
limitations have greatly reduced the potential power of networked data manage¬ 
ment applications. What can you do right now to maximize DBMS performance? 
What new releases and new products will eliminate performance roadblocks? 

10. The Desktop-based DBMS as Production Database. 

Most PC-based data/file-management software in user hands is lightly used, if at 
all—and primarily as a simple file manager or decision support tool. But the best 
of the current database management products offer multifile/multiuser/transac¬ 
tion-processing capabilities. For companies of all sizes the potential exists to 
build powerful production applications with data management software that 
reside on PCs. Which products are worth considering? What are the limitations? 
What must be added to even the best DBMS products to give them full transac¬ 
tion-processing capability? 

Panelists will include members of both the vendor and 
user community chosen for technical competence and real 
world experience—professionals like you. Here's a partial 
list of panelists already committed to participating in the 
SYSTEMS FORUM: 

From User Organizations: 

• Steve Ikard, Mgr. Advanced Systems Grp., Wells Fargo Bank 

• Laurie Antonell, Dir. Systems and LANS, Merrill Lynch, Capital Mkts. Div. 

• Mike Johnson, PC Systems Mgr., PC Systems Support Grp., Transok, Inc. 

• Dr. James Nestor, Sr. Mgr. R&D, Ernst & Whinney 

From Manufacturer/Publisher Organizations: 

• Philippe Kahn, Pres., Borland Inti. 

• William Casey, Div-Vice Pres., Product Architecture, 

Cullinet Software Corp. 

• Alan Ashton, Pres., Word Perfect Corp. 

• Steve Ballmer, Vice Pres., Microsoft Corp. 

• Craig Burton, Vice Pres.-Mktg., Novell 

• Safi Qureshey, Pres. & CEO, AST Research 

• Chuck Hickey, Pres., Microport Systems, Inc. 

• Peter Gabel, Pres., Arity 

• Nat Goldhaber, Pres., Centram Corp. 

From VAR/Reseller/Consultant Organizations: 

• Mark Freund, Vice-Pres., Interconnect 

• Rick Watkins, Co-Founder, Accelerated Learning Center 


So join us in San Diego September 23, 24, and 25 at the Sheraton Harbor 
Island—We've got a lot to talk about. 


You'll be in good company; you'll learn a lot, and you'll get 
to do it all at the delightful Sheraton Harbor Island on San 
Diego Harbor. We've negotiated special room rates. We'll 
also provide a lot of food, fun, and fireworks, (intellectual, of 
course). 


□ Yes, I'll be there □ Please send me more info. 
Registration Fee $495 ($395, if registered by July 30) 

□ Check Enclosed 

□ Charge my VISA □ Mastercard 

Acct. No_Exp. Date- 


Make Hotel Reservations at Sheraton Harbor Island by Call¬ 
ing (619) 291-2900. Ask for the Special PC Tech Journal 
Rate. Any Further Questions? Call Marti Cunha at (301) 740- 
8300. Return coupon to Marti Cunha, PC Tech Journal, Suite 
800, Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, MD 21044. 


Last Name 


First Name 


Title 


Company 


Address 


City 


State 


Zip Code 


( 


Phone 


Signature 













provides complete information, advice, guarantees and every product for Microcomputer Programming. 


Rtscal-2 


FOR MS-DOS 


Have you reached the limit with 
Turbo? Upgrade to Pascal-2. List: $395 

■ Cut execution time by 200% over TURBO Ours: $359 

■ Cut executable program size by up to 50% 

■ Transport MS-DOS programs to VAX, PDP-11 and 68000 
machines with only minor adjustments, and vice versa 

■ Speed error corrections and save development turn-around time 
with sophisticated error checking and reporting 

■ Use all of DOS-addressable memory through efficient large- 
memory model 

■ Access DOS services and network files 

■ Call Microsoft FORTRAN, C, Pascal and assembly routines 

Quicksort Benchmark — UPGRADE WITHOUTLOSS - 

_ easy migration path from TURBO with 

compatible strings, equivalent proce- 
dures & access to TURBO graphics 

Pascal-2 gives you more for the dollar! 
You get these extra features included free: 

■ Interactive source-level debugger 

■ Error walkback to trace errors to their source 

■ Intel CEL87 math library 

■ High-level profiler 

The following are trademarks: Oregon Software. Pascal-2, Oregon 
Software. Inc.; Intel. CEL87, Intel Corporation; MS, Microsoft Corp.; 

0 r - i i . s . > • * » « « o u TURBO Pascal, Borland International, Inc.; PDP, VAX, Digital 

EXECUTION TIME (seconds) Equipment Corp.; MC68000, Motorola, Inc. 


OREGON Ijp SOFTWARE 




FIRMWARE DEVELOPMENT 



LINK& LOCATE enables PC users to produce 
ROM-based firmware for 8086/87/186 from 
object files generated by popular C compilers, 
such as from Wizard, Microsoft and Lattice, 
and MASM assemblerfrom Microsoft Provides 
full control of segment placement anywhere in 
memory. Supports output of Intel HEX file for 
PROM programmers, Intel OMF absolute 
object file for symbolic debuggers and in-circuit 
emulators. Includes Intel compatible linker, 
locator, librarian, hex formatters and cross 
reference generator. $350. 


ft SYSTEMS & 
lW SOFTWARE i 


Our: $329 


3303 Harbor Blvd., Cl 1, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 

Phone (714) 241-8650 FAX (714) 241-0377 TWX 910-695-0125 


NEW! From Sterling Castle ... 

BASIC Development Tools 

Powerful “Automatic Programming” Tools 
That Save You Hours of Valuable Time. 


The novice or power programmer, can easily add these professional features. 

■ Screen Builder 

■ B+ Tree 

■ EZ Screen Pop-up Windows 

■ Help Message System 

BASIC Development Tools™ (BDT™) is 
compatible with the newest, fastest compilers, 
including Microsoft QuickBASIC™ and Borland 
Turbo Basic.™ In BDT you have four powerful 
aids that can be used separately or together. 

Screen Builder System translates the painted 
screen image into BASIC code which then can be merged in your program. 

B+Tree Data Manager is a very fast data file index system providing both 
direct and sequential access to data. Complete source provided. 

EZ Screen Pop-up Window Manager, written in assembler, easily inserts 
menus, windows, notepads. Saves a portion of the screen to/from a buffer. 

Help Message System allows the creation of context sensitive help messages in 
your application program. 

With BDT you have four of the most popular programming aids for $99.00. 
Includes two diskettes and 220 page manual. 

60 DAY FREE TRIAL. STERLING CASTLE'"^? 

ORDER I ODAy ! (800) 722-7853 sierling Castle. 702 Washington St.. Suite 
(213)306-3020 in California Marina del Rey.CA 90292 


WANT TO ADD 

WINDOWS, ICONS, FONTS, 

FAST GRAPHICS, DIALOG BOXES, 
PROCESS MANAGEMENT, AND 
DEVICE INDEPENDENCE 

TO YOUR IBM PC PROGRAMS? 

If you have ever wished that you could develop stunning Macintosh-like programs on the IBM PC without 
the overhead of an enormous operating environment like Windows or GEM, then you need the 
SYNERGY DEVELOPMENT TOOLKIT, from Matrix Software. 

Using a memory resident runtime module only 20K in size (versus as much as 300K for Windows), you 
can develop applications with; overlapped and tiled windows; pull-down menus with half intensity options 
and automatic sizing; fast graphics function calls to draw shapes, lines, boxes, and create intricate fill 
patterns in both regular and irregular areas; have full device independence (drivers for numerous devices, 
including CGA, EGA and Hercules are included); sophisticated text input and output, with fonts in different 
styles and sizes; full keyboard support (your programs won't need a mouse!) and powerful mouse support; 
and process management calls to efficiently manipulate system resources. 

The Toolkit has gateways to support the following languages: 

• Turbo Pascal • Microsoft & Lattice C • Basic 

• IBM/MS Pascal • Macro Assembler • dBA£E ll/lll Compilers 


In addition, the Toolkit includes a powerful collection of tools including a graphics resource editor for 
developing your own icons and fonts. 

NEW! The Toolkit also includes a free copy of Synergy Layout, a revolutionary software 
development tool that dramatically increases your productivity by actually generating bug-free source code 
in Macro, C, and Turbo Pascal. 

For further information, contact Matrix Software at [617] 567-0037. 

List: $395 
Ours: $349 


All trademarks acknowledged. 


Call Today for FREE detailed 
information or try Risk-Free for 31 days. 


800 - 421-8006 

HOURS: 8:30 A.M.-8:00P.M. E.S.T. 


THE PROGRAMMER'S SHOP 

_ Your complete source for software, services and answers 


5-PPond Park Road, Hingham, MA 02043 
Mass: 800-442-8070 or 617-740-2510 2/87 


CIRCLE NO. 220 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


















Batch File Interaction 

A batch file can be programmed to interact with the 
user arid then branch based on the response given. 


ED VOLKSTORF 


M any DOS batch files would be more useful if they had 
the capability to interact with the user by issuing 
prompts and modifying the path of execution based on the 
responses. Because batch files already have the capability for 
conditional branching, a level of interaction can be created 
by setting appropriate conditions based on keyboard input. In 
its simplest form, this can be accomplished by executing the 
following program from a batch file: 

MOV AH,1 ; Standard input function 
INT 21H ; Call DOS, get character in AL 

MOV AH,4CH ; Function to exit with return code 
INT 21H ; Call DOS to exit 

The standard-input function reads a character from stan¬ 
dard input. If the keyboard is the standard-input device and 
no character is present in the keyboard buffer, the branching 
program waits until a key is pressed. The ASCII code of the 
character is returned as an exit code. When the program ex¬ 
its, the batch file tests the code and branches on its value via 
an IF ERRORLEVEL statement. 

For practical use, this simple program can be enhanced 
in three ways. It can display any text from its command line 
as a prompt. Extended scan codes can be returned for non- 
ASCII keys, such as the cursor control and function keys. Fi¬ 


U$[tNG 1: ASKKEYASM 

; ASKKEY 

Display text and accept a 

char from Standard'Input. 1 

; 

Return the ASCII code of the char as an ERRORLEVEL. 

Code 

Segment 




\ Org 

IfOtOOH, • 

' ’ , 


Assume 

CS:Code, DSsCode 

AskKey 

Proc 

Hr 


Begin: 

Mov 

SI,81H 

; SI -> 1st cmd line char 

; Display all text in the command line up to ODH (Carridge Return) 

NxtChar: 

Mov 

DL,[SI] 

; get char from command line 


Cap A 

Dl,0DH 

; CR char means end of string’ 


Je 

GetChar 

; Goto input mode if at end 


Mov 

AH,02H 

; Standard Output function 


Int 

21H 

; call DOS to output char 


Inc 

SI 

; increment to next char 


Jmp 

NxtChar 

; and go get it 

\ f Accept a single character response 

from Standard Input 

GetChar: 

Moy 

AH,01H 

; Standard Input function 


Int 

21H 

; Call DOS, get char into AL 


Cmp 

AL,0 

; extended character? 


Je 

GetChar 

; Yes, get the scan code 


Cmp 

AL,'a* 

; is char less than ‘a* ? 


Jb 

, Xit 

; Yes, skip case change 

fill 

SliilS 

Ja 

AL,'z' 

Xit 

. ; is it greater than ’z' ? 

; Yes, bypass case change 


And 

AL,NOT 20H 

; change to upper case 

; Return to DOS with 

the RETCODE set 


Xit: 

Mov 

AH,4CH 

; Set exit function 


Int 

21H 

; call DOS to leave 


nally, alphabetic input can be converted to uppercase so that 
the batch file’s response is not sensitive to the case of the 
user’s input. An enhanced program, ASKKEY.ASM, is shown in 
listing 1. It should be assembled, linked, and converted to a 
.COM file with the DOS utility, EXE2BIN. 

The ASKKEY program does not interpret the user’s input; 
the batch file that calls it does that. An example of its use is 
given in ASKDEMO.BAT (listing 2). The batch file proceeds 
along one of two paths, depending on whether the user types 
Y or N, with all other characters rejected. The definition of 
which characters are accepted and which are rejected is 
made in the batch file and not in the ASKKEY program. 

In the batch file, the user must properly construct the se¬ 
quence of tests of the returned code. The ERRORLEVEL con¬ 
dition is true for return codes equal to or greater than the 
value in the IF statement. Recognizing two nonconsecutive 
characters requires four tests: for characters above the higher 
one, for the higher acceptable character, for characters be¬ 
tween the two valid ones, and finally for the lower acceptable 

character. All other characters result in execution falling_ 

through to the error routine. UBiiiW 


Ed Volkstorf is a configuration manager with the Planning Research 
Corporation, which is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

; AL already has RETCODE 

AskKey Endp 

• 

Code Ends 

End Begin 


..... .•.-,.r-. * .. , . 

... f t 

LISTING 2: ASKDEMO.BAT 

REM ASKKEY test 

ECHO OFF 

:GETKEY 

ASKKEY Press Y or N 


Rem Error if above 'Y * 


IF ERRORLEVEL 90 GOTO ERROR 


Rem Ok ff » »Y» - 

IF ERRORLEVEL 89 GOTO YES 

Rem Error if Above »N ' , below • Y• 

IF ERRORLEVEL 79 GOTO ERROR 


Rem OK if « 'N* 


■ -IF ERRORLEVEL GOTO NO:" ' ‘ ' \ : ' 


Rem Else fall into error 

: ERROR 

ECHO Wrong key pressed. Try again 

GOTO GETKEY 


:YES 


ECHO dption “YES" was selected , , 

GOTO EXIT 

. 

:N0 

ECHO Option "NO" was selected 
:EXIT 

ECHO ASKKEY, test completed. 



JUNE 1987 


51 






Discover AST Premium/286. The Erst 
AST Quality Uncompromising ATC 



More than two million people have made 
us the first choice in PC Enhancement. 

For over five years, you've known AST as 
the leading PC enhancement company 
Now, we're introducing the ultimate 
enhancement: AST Premium/286. The 
first AT-compatible personal computer 
with AST performance and reliability. More 
flexible and upgradeable. Skillfully com¬ 
bining lightning fast processing speed and 
uncompromising compatibility. 

AST FASTslots:™ Processing speed¬ 
ways. Forming the foundation of the 
AST Premium/286's increased speed are 
our FASTslots. This advanced architec¬ 
ture improves overall performance so there's 
enough built-in power to satisfy even 
the most demanding user. 

The AST Premium/286 operates 50% 
faster than an 8MHz PC AT® as mea¬ 
sured by the Norton Utilities™ Version 3.0 
Syslnfo. And maintains full compatibility 
with standard PC and AT-based enhance¬ 
ment cards. It also provides for a power¬ 
ful, easily upgradeable and expandable 
future, accommodating the next generation 
of accelerator and high-performance 
enhancement cards. 


Prices Start 
At $1995.00* 


A Heritage Of Software Compatibil¬ 
ity. Software compatibility has always 
been one of our strong points. Shipped 
with the industry-standard MS-DOS® 

3.1, AST Premium/286 is compatible with 
widely accepted operating systems such 
as IBM® PC-DOS™ Concurrent DOS™ and 
XENIX™ It's also designed to get the most 
out of multitasking software packages like 
Microsoft® Windows, DESQview™ and 
TopView.™ 

Applications-oriented. Keyboard- 
selectable operation at 10,8 or 6MHz means 
virtually all popular off-the-shelf IBM 
PC and PC AT application software is 
immediately compatible. All your favorites, 
including Microsoft Word, Lotus® 1-2-3,® 
Framework,™ Symphony,® dBASE® III and 
AutoCAD? 1 


Attain your fullest software poten¬ 
tial. AST's advanced architecture also 
provides faster and more flexible mem¬ 
ory addressing. While built-in Enhanced 
expanded memory capabilities—AST 
FASTRAM,™ expandable to 2MB in a single 
slot—let you break the 640K DOS bar¬ 
rier. Create bigger spreadsheets and sort 
larger databases. And enjoy the uninter¬ 
rupted workflow benefits of multitasking 
using current DOS versions, with full sup¬ 
port for protected mode software built-in. 

Fast access disk storage. Comple¬ 
menting AST Premium/286's speedy opera¬ 
tion is a full line of disk systems. There's 
a 20MB, 40MB and a 70MB hard disk. Both 
the 40MB and the 70MB offer more storage 
and faster access times—below 30msec - 
than the PC AT's fixed disk. And our 
external disk/tape systems, featuring 
advanced SCSI architecture, allow easy 
expandability. 





Personal Computer With Legendary 
ompatibilityand Lightning Speed. 


More standards are standard. We 

build-in our AST FASTRAM™ memory card. 
And most models include our own multi- 
mode enhanced graphics adapter, suppor¬ 
ting IBM EGA, CGA and Monochrome, and 
Hercules Graphics Card™ display modes. 

Compatible with AST and IBM 
Products. AST Premium/286 is designed 
to remain your productivity partner for 
years to come. Choose it with confidence 
for single and multitasking applications, 
individual and shared environments alike. 
Use it as an engine with other AST prod¬ 
ucts to form powerful application work¬ 
stations for desktop publishing, CAD/CAE 
and more. Or to increase connectivity use 
it as a network file server, to communicate 
with IBM mainframes and minicomputers, 
or to manage multiuser environments. 

Solutions that are ready to go. 

We also offer a number of pre-configured 
workstation solutions tailored for maxi¬ 


mum performance in your application. 
Combining our proven products, from 
local area networking and data commu¬ 
nications to extra memory and I/O to 
laser printers and disk systems, our solu¬ 
tions are all designed to increase your 
business productivity. 

Quality across the board, around 
the world. When you buy AST products, 
you're also purchasing a worldwide repu¬ 
tation for service, support and product 
dependability. AST Premium/286 is backed 
by a one year limited warranty, and our 
worldwide network of certified dealers and 
service centers. 

AST Premium/286-The system 
and the solutions. For more information 
call our Product Information Center at 
(714) 863-0181 or send the coupon to: 

AST Research, Inc., 2121 Alton Avenue, 
Irvine, CA 92714-4992. 


Yes, I want to know more about AST 
Premium/286 Solutions. Send me more 
information today. 


Name:_ 
Title:_ 


Company:. 

Address:— 


City:_State:_ 

Zip:_Telephone:!_ l _ 

My applications: 

_Desktop Publishing_Multiuser 

_Mainframe/Minicomputer Connection 

_Multitasking_General Business 


Send to: 

AST Research, Inc., 2121 Alton Avenue. 


Irvi: 


Irvine, CA 92714-4992 Attn: M.C.- 


PCTJ6/87 

OIPCTHOOOBOIPM 


87 

01PM 



» 







Tivo AT-compatible expansion slots 
with a plus: a third bus connector fea¬ 
turing lightning-quick CPU access 
time, for use with specially-designed 
cards like the AST FASTRAM Enhanced 
memory card. Expandable to 2MB in 
single slot, FASTRAM supports a variety 
of addressing capabilities—Enhanced 
EMS, EMS, extended (protected mode) 
and conventional memory addressing. 

Enhanced, low-profile 101/102-key key¬ 
board with separate numeric keypad, 
dedicated cursor control and extra 
function keys. International versions 
available. 


AST Premium/286 is shipped urith MS- 
DOS and GW BASIC,® and it's fully 
compatible with a wide variety of oper¬ 
ating systems, operating environment 
and utility packages, and application 


Seven industry-standard 
expansion slots; 1 PC- 
compatible slot, 6 PC AT- 
compatible slots, including 
two AST FASTslots. FASTslots 
provide no wait state oper¬ 
ation with a high-speed 
direct interface to the 10MHz 
80286 processor. Advanced 
architecture accommo¬ 
dates the next generation 
of accelerator and high- 
performance enhancement 
cards. It's also an open archi¬ 
tecture for easy develop¬ 
ment and system integration. 


Based on industry-standard native 
80286 technology, complemented by 
AST advanced architecture. 


Coprocessor socket 
accepts 8MHz 
80287 devices to 
execute math- and 
floating point-intensive 
programs faster. 


Indicators let you check your clock¬ 
speed-user-selectable at 10, 8 or 
6MHz. Reset button allotvs easy cold¬ 
booting. Security lock prevents unau¬ 
thorized keyboard access. 


Relative Computing 

AST 

Performance 

Premium/28A 

New 
PC AT 

PC AT 


MHz 6 « 

10 


Compare the increased speed of the AST 
Premium/286 against the top competi¬ 
tors for yourself. (Basis: Norton Utilities 
Syslnfo Version 3.0) 


"The Perfect 10" 

10MHz, 0 wait-state operation, 
faster than the 8MHz PC AT, with 
IBM PC AT hardtvare and software 
compatibility. 

Supports standard PC, PC AT and 
AST FASTslot cards. With AST, you 
start with a lot, like our included 
FASTRAM Enhanced memory card 
and multimode Enhanced Graphics 
Adapter, but you've also got a lot 
of options. We offer the widest range 
of compatible enhancement prod¬ 
ucts and peripherals to suit your 
needs-a true one-stop solution 
alloivingyou to expand and upgrade 
your system with the assurance of 
future service and support. 

AST markets products worldwide-in Europe call: 44 1 568 4350; in the Far East call: 852 0499 9113; in Canada call: (416) 826-7514. 

AST Premium/286, FASTslot and FASTRAM trademarks of AST Research, Inc. IBM, Personal Computer AT and PC AT registered trademarks and PC-DOS and TbpView trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Lotus, 1-2-3 and Symphony 
registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. dBASE registered and Framework trademark of Ashton-late. AutoCAD trademark of AUTODESK, Inc. Microsoft, MS-DOS, XENIX, and GW BASIC registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 
DESQview trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems. Hercules Graphics Card trademark of Hercules Computer Technology. Norton Utilities trademark of Peter Norton Computing, Inc.UNIX trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories, Concurrent DOS trademark 
Digital Research. Copyright © 1986 AST Research, Inc. All rights reserved. 


















































































The myriad network 
options available has 
been brought under 
control by a set of 
flexible standards for 
the prevalent hard¬ 
ware protocols. 

ART KRUMREY and 
JOHN KOLMAN 


A s local area networks have prolif¬ 
ic erated, the need for standards has 
JL JL become evident. Dozens of hard¬ 
ware interfaces, topologies, and cable 
types, as well as network control pro¬ 
grams and operating systems that run 
on different hardware are available. 
Because considerations such as wiring 
plans, network size, and cost-versus- 
performance vary greatly, it is unlikely 
and even undesirable that a single LAN 
standard could exist. 

Instead, groups from the Institute 
of Electrical and Electronic Engineers 
(IEEE) and American National Standards 
Institute (ANSI), with representatives 
from many companies, have written a 


family of specifications for LAN hard¬ 
ware. Formal definitions for networks 
such as Xerox’s Ethernet, AT&T’s Star- 
LAN, and the IBM Token-Ring Network 
are included. These standards, in addi¬ 
tion to the de facto ARCnet standard de¬ 
veloped by Datapoint, enjoy a large 
measure of multivendor support. 

Unlike its earlier dominance in set¬ 
ting internal hardware and software 
standards for desktop computers, IBM 
has been slower to participate in the 
development of universal communica¬ 
tions standards. Its competitors, how¬ 
ever, have been in the forefront in ap¬ 
plying their own standards to PC con¬ 
nectivity, particularly in LANs. 




































LAN STANDARDS 


Today, most manufacturers are set¬ 
tling on one of three LAN hardware 
standards, formalized by ANSI and IEEE; 
selecting software is a separate decision. 
The designer and installer must under¬ 
stand these LAN standards and their 
role in building a network in order to 
figure out all the options. 

IT ALL STARTS WITH OSI 

In late 1981, formal liaison was estab¬ 
lished between the IEEE and the Euro¬ 
pean Computer Manufacturers Associa¬ 
tion (ECMA), and the result was the 
stated objective that all standards should 
be in accordance with the open system 
interconnection (OSI) reference model 
of the International Standards Organiza¬ 
tion (ISO). The seven layers of the OSI 
model are listed in table 1. Layers 1 
(physical control) and 2 (logical link 
control and medium access control) are 
the ones treated by IEEE standards. 

Layer 1 dictates what type of cable is 
used, and this can be the LAN design 
decision that most affects installation 
costs and future applications. 

The five upper layers are mostly 
proprietary, although some ISO stan¬ 
dards exist for particular networks—for 
example, the manufacturing automation 
protocol (MAP). These layers are imple¬ 
mented entirely by software. Layer 1 is 
implemented by hardware, and layer 2 
by a combination of hardware and soft¬ 
ware, depending upon the degree of in¬ 
telligence that the vendor places on the 
network interface card (NIC). 

Four IEEE standards address the 
two lowest layers. At this time, the ISO 
boundaries at layers 1 and 2 corre¬ 
spond with the IEEE standards, but 
whether the final ISO definition for the 
separation of layers 2 and 3 will fully 
correspond with the IEEE boundary is 
still unknown. The IEEE standards are 
defined as follows: 

802.2 Data or logical link control 

802.3 Carrier sense multiple access 
with collision detection (CSMA/ 
CD) bus LANs (for example, 
Ethernet and StarLAN) 

802.4 Token-passing bus LANs (for ex¬ 
ample, MAP; ARCnet is similar) 

802.3 Token-passing ring LANs (for ex¬ 
ample, IBM Token-Ring Network) 
An 802.6 standard is being devel¬ 
oped for metropolitan area networks 
using CATV technology, and 802.7 will 
cover broadband networks. These types 
of wider area networks can function as 
a bridge to departmental LANs. 

A companion IEEE document, 

802.1, describes the relationship among 
the standards as well as their position 
in the OSI model. This document also 


TABLE 1: OSI Model and IEEE 802 Standards 


LAYER 

ISO MODEL DESCRIPTION 

IEEE STANDARD 

7 

Application 

N/A 

6 

Presentation control 

N/A 

5 

Session control 

N/A 

4 

Transport end-to-end control 

N/A 

3 

Network control 

N/A 

2 

Logical link control 

802.2 


Medium access control (MAC) 

802.3, 802.4, 802.5 

l 

Physical control 

802.3, 802.4, 802.5 


The IEEE 802 LAN standards deal with the implementation of layers 1 and 2 of the 
OSI reference model. Logical link control (802.2) is common to all media. 


covers the relationship of the 802 stan¬ 
dards to higher-layer protocols and 
treats network management and com¬ 
munications between networks. 

The upper part of the ISO’s layer 2 
corresponds to the IEEE’s 802.2 stan¬ 
dard, logical link control (LLC). LLC can 
be either connectionless (class I) or 
connection-oriented (class II). The con¬ 
nectionless service is used when higher 
layers provide recovery and sequencing 
services, so they do not need to be rep¬ 
licated in the logical link layer. It is also 
used when the delivery of every data 
unit in the logical link layer does not 
have to be guaranteed. The connection- 
oriented LLC provides services compa¬ 
rable to synchronous data link control 
(SDLC) or high-level data link control 
(HDLC) protocols, including sequenced 
delivery of data units in the logical link 
layer and a comprehensive set of error 
recovery techniques. 

The medium access control (MAC) 
sublayer and the network control layer 
communicate with LLC by a set of three 
service primitives: request , which asks 
that a service be initiated—a signal 
from the adjacent layers to LLC; indica¬ 
tion, which signals a response from LLC 
to adjacent layers about a request or 
signals an event internal to LLC; and 
confirm , which signals a response from 
LLC to adjacent layers about the results 
of one or more previous requests. 

For connectionless services LLC 
processes requests for unacknowledged 
connectionless data transfer. For con¬ 
nection-oriented services, requests are 
processed for connection establishment, 
connection-oriented data transfer, con¬ 
nection termination, connection reset, 
and connection flow control. 

HARDWARE STRATEGIES 

Dozens of companies manufacture LAN 
hardware that adheres to one of the 
standards defined by IEEE/ANSI: CSMA/ 
CD, token-passing bus, and token-pass¬ 


ing ring. The selection of a LAN hard¬ 
ware standard involves seven factors: 

(1) transmission medium; (2) topology; 
(3) line access method; (4) speed; 

(5) cable type; (6) geographic span; and 
(7) address size. 

Transmission medium. Two types of sig¬ 
naling methods can be used along the 
LAN cable: baseband and broadband. 

In baseband systems, a stream of 
digital bits is sent on the network by 
raising and lowering the voltage, using 
the Manchester encoding method. The 
transmission, which takes place at 
hundreds of millions of times a second, 
has some of the properties of a radio 
signal; thus, phenomena such as stand¬ 
ing waves can occur if cable length re¬ 
strictions are not followed. Standing 
waves are caused by reflected signals 
and can produce signal distortion and 
loss because the reflected signal inter¬ 
feres with the original signal. 

The broadband medium actually 
uses radio frequency signals to transmit 
one or more network signals, perhaps 
along with radio and television signals 
on the same cable. The network infor¬ 
mation is sent on channels of frequency 
with separate receive and transmit fre¬ 
quencies. Several baseband-style net¬ 
works, such as Ethernet, can be imple¬ 
mented on the same broadband cable 
along with other radio information. 
Broadband requires NICs that create a 
radio frequency signal, as well as per¬ 
form the other protocol functions of 
baseband. Further, the integrity of the 
network can be jeopardized by the fre¬ 
quency drift of any node’s transmitter. 
The cost of the electronic components 
to perform the extra functions makes 
broadband NICs more expensive than 
others. Broadband is often used as a 
high-bandwidth bridge between less ex¬ 
pensive baseband networks. 

Topology. Topology refers to the layout 
scheme of a LAN. The major topologies 
are star (figure 1), linear bus (figure 2), 


56 


PC TECH JOURNAL 













and ring (figure 3). Each of these topol¬ 
ogies can be defined two ways: logical 
topology is the method by which the 
networked workstations contend for the 
media and pass messages; physical to¬ 
pology is the actual physical manner in 
which the workstations are wired. In 
general, the 802 standards address the 
logical topology and electrical interface 
issues within the network, leaving the 
physical wiring choices to the vendor. 

In the pure (logical and physical) 
star topology, cable is arranged in the 
shape of a star, radiating from a central 
point—usually the server. Each cable to 
the server is unique; none is shared. 
Thus, the impact of a cable fault or NIC 
is limited to a single station. Because 
star networks have no shared resource, 
such as a bus, no complex protocol for 
sharing is needed, and none is defined 
by the IEEE. Most star implementations 
have, in fact, been proprietary. The ma¬ 
jor disadvantage of the star topology is 
that it requires a lot of cable. 

The linear bus topology has a sin¬ 
gle length of cable, called the bus, or 
trunk. Every device is connected to the 
bus and the ends are terminated—not 
connected to each other. Usually the 
devices are connected to the main cable 
by stubs. In a typical configuration, the 
main cable is in the ceiling or wire 
channel and the stubs run to the work¬ 
station. Stubs are strictly limited in dis¬ 
tance; for example, Ethernet’s limit is 
six feet. Some variations, such as ARC- 
net, allow spurs from the bus, as long 
as the cable does not loop. Repeaters 
allow segments of cable to be con¬ 
nected by another medium—for exam¬ 
ple, fiber optic extensions of Ethernet. 

The bus has the advantage of wir¬ 
ing simplicity, but any break in the 
cable can cause the entire network, or 
entire segment of a network with re¬ 
peaters, to fail. The total failure is 
caused by one end of the bus losing a 
proper termination in a terminator re¬ 
sistor. The breaks can be hard to diag¬ 
nose, especially in large networks. 

Variants of the bus connect work¬ 
stations in a physical star pattern but 
behave electronically as a bus. The 
prevalent example is AT&T’s StarLAN. 

A ring topology has devices con¬ 
nected in a series with the connection 
looping the last station to the first sta¬ 
tion, forming a ring of cable. All data 
pass through all devices. The sending 
device must listen for die packet it sent 
coming around from the other side, 
and not repeat it. Like a bus, any break 
in the cable causes the network to fail. 

The star-wired ring (figure 4) phys¬ 
ically connects workstations in a star ar- 


FIGURE 1: Star Topology 



A star network uses dedicated cables to connect all stations to a central hub. The 
pure star places the server there, thus avoiding contention on the cables. 


FIGURE 2: Bus Topology 



A bus network threads a single main cable through all stations. Sometimes, short 
cable spurs are used to connect the workstations to the bus. 


FIGURE 3: Ring Topology 



Ring networks thread a main cable through all stations, similar to the bus topology 
except that the ends of the cable are connected to form the ring. 


JUNE 1987 


57 

















































































































• • • • 


EZQueue 3000 

Peripheral Sharing Plus! 

The Giltronix EZQueue ™ allows up to twenty-four computers to 
simultaneously share one or more laser printers, dot matrix printers, or 
plotters. In just a few minutes, you can configure the EZQueue to efficiently 
manage a single shared printer 
or multiple printers depending 
on your need. Ten simple 
to use and expandable 
models are offered, J 
each with up to two 
megabytes of 
dynamic 
buffering. 



: * >) - • ilssSSi 


i mmmmmwmmmmm. BHW 



Increased Productivity 

EZQueue goes beyond the cost advantages of 
sharing expensive printer resources. In a communica¬ 
tion environment, files containing data for printing 
mailing labels can be directed through EZQueue to a 
dot matrix printer. At the same time, files containing 
data for letter quality output requirements can be 
directed to a specific laser printer containing the 
desired paper style. Accounting departments can 
share the various printer resources needed to print 
invoices or checks. The flexibility of EZQueue can 
enhance productivity and reduce total system 
cost in virtually any workgroup environment. 

Dynamic Buffering for Simultaneous Inputs 

Buffering is dynamically allocated to one or more 
printer queues allowing simultaneous input from 
each of the attached computers with no waiting. 
When a shared printer is busy, files are stacked up in 
the EZQueue's buffer and output to the designated 
printer when it is ready to receive the next file. 

Headquarters 
3780 Fabian Way 
Palo Alto, CA 94303 
(415) 493-1300 
Telex 345542 


(VI 

</JGillronix 

IAJ 


Multiple Printer Sharing 

EZQueue is ideally suited 
to simultaneously access 
and share multiple printer 
resources. Each EZQueue is provided with 
Giltronix GX software, a DOS compatible program 
that makes selecting a desired printer a snap. Once 
installed on a computer, a few keystrokes will invoke 
GX from within any software program to quickly 
select the desired printer resource. Both serial and 
parallel interfaces are supported. 

Simple Installation 

No special cables are required because each 
EZQueue serial port automatically adjusts to signal 
directions. "Smart" ports, a "21" step installation 
guide and Giltronix toll-free tech support guarantee a 
successful installation with minimal effort. 

Expandability 

Unlike competitive systems, EZQueue's buffer size 
and number of ports can be expanded as your sys¬ 
tem grows. A minimum EZQueue starts with six 
serial ports, two parallel ports and 256K bytes of 
dynamic buffering. Serial ports can be added in six 
port increments up to a total of twenty-four serial 
ports. Buffering can be added in 256K byte incre¬ 
ments up to a total of 2 megabytes. 


Call Giltronix toll-free at (800) 531-1300 
In California, call (800) 521-1330 


CIRCLE NO. 172 ON READER SERVICE CARD 





















LAN STANDARDS 


FIGURE 4: Star-wired Ring 



IBM’s 802.5 Token-Ring Network is logically a ring, but physically wired as a star. This simplifies wiring and diagnostics. 


rangement to a hub. The hubs are, in 
turn, connected in a wire ring. All de¬ 
vices are logically configured in a pure 
ring, with the hub serving as a connec¬ 
tion point to nearby devices. The IBM 
Token-Ring Network is an example of 
this type. Another variant, the bus-wired 
ring, is used by 3Com for its 802.5 net¬ 
work. Both networks are electrically 
compatible and can be mixed. 

Line access method. The line access 
method is the type of signaling used on 
he line that allows multiple devices to 
share the same cable, communicate on 
it, and not interfere with another de¬ 
vice. The IEEE defines the two methods 
that distinguish bus LANs: CSMA/CD and 
token passing. The IEEE-defined ring 
network, 802.5, uses token passing. 

The IEEE line access methods use 
the same type of error checking. Error 
detection is typically performed by 
the receiver hardware using the 32-bit 
frame check sequence cyclic redun¬ 
dancy check (CRC) field. The CRC 
checksum is formed as a function of the 
address, length, and data and pad fields. 
CRC is used as a more powerful and 
less risky error detecting mechanism 
than normal parity checking. 

Speed Among the standardized net¬ 
works, the rate at which packets are 
transmitted on the network varies from 


StarLAN’s 1 million bits per second 
(Mbps), token ring’s 4 Mbps, token 
bus’s 1 to 10 Mbps, and Ethernet’s 10 
Mbps. This raw data transmission speed 
is only one of many factors affecting the 
overall performance of the network. 
Cable. The type of cable connecting 
workstations can greatly influence in¬ 
stallation costs. CSMA/CD networks use 
two types of coaxial cable (coax) and 
twisted pair for StarLAN. Thick coax is 
used for Ethernet long runs; less costly 
thin coax can be used for short runs. 
Token-passing bus networks use several 
types of 75-ohm coax; for the fastest im¬ 
plementation, CATV-like semi-rigid ca¬ 
ble is recommended. For token-ring 
networks, shielded twisted pair, such as 
IBM Cabling System type 2, is best. Un¬ 
shielded twisted pair (ordinary tele¬ 
phone wire or IBM type 3) can be used 
in environments with low electro¬ 
magnetic interference. 

Geographic span. The maximum distance 
across the total network—the distance 
between the farthest nodes—is the geo¬ 
graphic span. All 802 networks can be 
repeated or extended. Without repeat¬ 
ers, 802.3 CSMA/CD networks on thin 
coax can span 305 meters. Thick coax 
extends the span to 1,000 meters. A 
token-bus network’s span depends 
upon the expected performance. Token¬ 


ring cable can be up to 100 meters 
from the hub; the maximum span is 
300-600 meters depending upon the ex¬ 
act arrangement of the ring. 

Selective repeaters, also known as 
bridges , are another method used to ex¬ 
pand networks. They use a store-and- 
forward feature to repeat only packets 
destined for segments attached to a par¬ 
ticular repeater. Selective repeaters can 
improve the performance of multiple 
segmented networks because local seg¬ 
ment packets are not forwarded. 

Address size. The address size deter¬ 
mines the number of different devices 
that can be connected to the network. 
All new CSMA/CD implementations use 
a 48-bit address; older implementations 
use 16 bits. Token buses and rings use 
either a 16- or 48-bit address, depend¬ 
ing upon implementation. The 48-bit 
address is usually the manufacturer’s 
code—as set by the IEEE—and serial 
number to provide a unique identifica¬ 
tion of all network devices. 

THE CONTENTION PROTOCOL 

IEEE standard 802.3 for the CSMA/CD 
protocol evolved from the original 
baseband version developed by Robert 
Metcalfe and David Boggs of Xerox’s 
Palo Alto Research Center in 1976. It 
has experienced widespread implemen- 


JUNE 1987 


59 


























































































To Over 30,000 Installations, 
MultiLink Multi-User, 


At over 30,000 sites, as many as one-quarter of a million 
users tap into the power of MultiLink Advanced everyday. 

Since 1983, they’ve come to rely on our multi-tasking, 
multi-user system for compatibility with their favorite 
software, and the ability to share disks, files, printers, 
and programs in a true PC-DOS environment. 

From the largest of the Fortune 500 to the smallest in 
small business, MultiLink 1 ' has provided a cost-effective 
multi-user solution that’s available from no one else. 

MultiLink" Means Cost-Effective Timesharing 
on a PC. MultiLink" Advanced utilizes the principle of 
timesharing by sharing a central PC’s peripherals, files, 
and processor time among nine users. Up to eight in¬ 
expensive terminals can be connected to a single non- 
dedicated IBM PC, XT, AT or 100% compatible using 
standard RS-232 ports. Each terminal effectively emu¬ 
lates a PC having up to 512K RAM. 

PC-Shadow : - Workstations, shown below, even have 
an AT look-alike, as well as work-alike, keyboard, dis¬ 
play, and serial port. In addition, password-protected 
remote access via modem can be made with either dumb 
terminals or PCs running ourterminal emulation software. 


MultiLink" Means PC-DOS Compatibility with a 
Software-Driven System. Lotus 1-2-3, Symphony, 
WordStar, dBASE III, & Multimate are just a sampling 
of the wide variety of PC-DOS software that’s fully 
compatible. 

Our software-driven system is also IBM NETBIOS 
compatible, so programs that are written for IBM’s 
Token Ring will run on our multi-user system, as well. 

MultiLink Means Multi-User to Leading 
Computer Publications. Whether you read PC Magazine , 
“MultiLink" Advanced delivers on...convenience, speed, 
and flexibility,” or InfoWorld, “If you want a low-cost 
multiuser system with up to eight terminals, MultiLink 
Advanced is worth a serious look;’ it becomes clear that 
MultiLink " Advanced is a formidable contender in the 
multi-user marketplace. 

See What MultiLink Can Mean to You. Learn, 
firsthand, how our multi-user system can benefit your 
company. Call The Software Link TODAY for complete 
information and the authorized dealer nearest you. 
MultiLink" Advanced is $595 and comes with a 
money-back guarantee. 


MultiLink is a registered trademark of 
The Software Link. MultiLink-' Advanced 
& PC-Shadow ' are trademarks of The 
Software Link. IBM PC. XT. AT. PC-DOS. 

Token Ring. & NETBIOS are trademarks of 
IBM Corp WordStar. dBASE III. Multimate, 
Lotus 1-2-3 8 Symphony are trademarks of 
MicroPro. Ashton-Tate. Multimate International. 
& Lotus Development Corp . respectively. 





/ \ \i // n 

THE SOFTWARE LINK 

3577 Parkway Lane, Atlanta, Georgia 30092 
Telex 4996147 SWLINK FAX 404/263-6474 

CALL: 800/451-LINK In Georgia: 404/448-LINK 

(For the dealer nearest you) 



OEM/Int’l Sales: 404/263-1006 Resellers/VARs: 404/448-5465 

THE SOFTWARE LINK/CANADA CALL: 800/387-0453 

Dealer Inquiries Invited 



CIRCLE NO. 196 ON READER SERVICE CARD 











































LAN STANDARDS 



Sharing of the Ethernet bus depends on all stations being able to detect and re¬ 
cover from collision of packets. In this example, station A begins transmitting; then, 
station B begins transmitting before A’s packet has propagated down the bus. 


tation not only by Xerox, but also by 
Digital Equipment, Hewlett-Packard, In¬ 
tel, and 3Com. IBM has announced an 
802.3 interface for its 370-class 9370 
computers. CSMA/CD differs from other 
protocols in that control of network ac¬ 
cess is not centralized. Instead a degree 
of cooperation between network de¬ 
vices is required to share the communi¬ 
cations media equitably. 

Conflicts arise when more than 
one device attempts to transmit on the 
single shared cable at the same time. 
CSMA/CD is a contention protocol , 
which assumes that occasional conflicts 
will occur and defines the methods for 
detecting and correcting these conflicts. 
This approach differs from token-pass¬ 
ing networks in that each device earns 
the right to transmit by receiving a to¬ 
ken , which is a unique string of bits 
that serves as a control signal. Once a 
device takes possession of the token, it 
has the exclusive use of the communi¬ 
cations media. 

CSMA/CD can be better understood 
by defining the three elements that 
comprise its name: 

Carrier sense. Before a device transmits 
it listens to ensure the media are not 
being used. A voltage pulse train, or 
carrier , is transmitted on baseband sys¬ 
tems to indicate the media are in use. 
Multiple access. As soon as the media are 
available a device can begin transmit¬ 
ting. There is no need to wait for a 
token or other type of poll before ini¬ 
tiating a transmission. 

Collision detection. Occasionally, more 
than one device may attempt to transmit 
simultaneously. When this happens a 
collision occurs. The transmitting device 
monitors the communications media for 
high voltage levels while transmitting. 

A voltage level greater than one that 
would be expected from a single trans¬ 
mitting device signals a collision. 

After the transmitting station de¬ 
tects a collision it immediately termi¬ 
nates the transmission of data, instead 
sending enough jamming noise so that 
all devices on the cable will sense a col¬ 
lision. All transmitting stations then wait 
a random amount of time before they 
attempt to retransmit. The scheduling of 
the retransmissions is determined by a 
controlled randomization process called 
truncated binary> exponential backoff. 
After each repeated failure on a trans¬ 
mission attempt, a station doubles the 
mean value of the random delay. As the 
network becomes more heavily loaded, 
stations dynamically adjust, attempting 
to transmit less often. 

Collisions can occur only during an 
initial collision window , defined as 


twice the maximum network propaga¬ 
tion delay. The size of this window is 
essentially the length of time it takes a 
transmitting station to detect a collision. 
Figure 3 illustrates a worst-case scena¬ 
rio—where stations A and B are as far 
apart on the network as is physically 
possible. A collision does not occur un¬ 
til the data packet from station A has 
propagated down the network to station 
B. Station A must continue to transmit 
at least until the collision jamming 
noise propagates back over the network 
to it. Once this worst-case collision win¬ 
dow has passed, any transmitting station 
will have seized the transmission chan¬ 
nel and will not be interrupted until the 
entire packet has been sent. 

Data are transmitted in packets of 
8 n bits, where 46 <= n <= 1,500. The 
minimum size of 46 * 8 bits ensures 
that collisions are detected while trans¬ 
mission is in progress. Short messages 
are padded with binary zeros to the 
minimum length; longer data messages 
are broken into several packets. The 
data are sent using split phase encod¬ 
ing, a binary signaling method that 
combines data and clocking pulses. 

With this Manchester encoding tech¬ 
nique, the first half of each data bit is at 


a voltage that is the inverse of the bit 
value, and the second half is the true 
value of the bit. Thus, each bit period 
always has one transition from a posi¬ 
tive voltage through zero to negative, or 
vice versa. This transition forms a car¬ 
rier that stations must listen for before 
beginning a transmission. 

Packets comprise a synchronization 
preamble, address fields, data fields, 
and a 32-bit frame check sequence CRC 
field. The preamble field is 64 bits, 
which allows enough time for the re¬ 
ceiving hardware to stabilize and synch¬ 
ronize to the incoming bit stream. This 
field is immediately followed by the 
start frame delimiter (SFD) field. Ad¬ 
dress fields are 48 bits and identify the 
destination and source of the packet. A 
destination address of all binary Is indi¬ 
cates a broadcast packet, which is to be 
received by all stations. Each network 
device has a unique address. 

As data are sent over the network, 
all stations receive each transmitted 
packet, assembled and validated by the 
MAC layer of the network interface. 
Completed packets then travel upward 
to the LLC level, where the destination 
address is checked. Only when a station 
receives a packet with its address, or 


JUNE 1987 


61 












































© 1987 MathSoft, Inc. All rights reserved. 




MathCAD turns your PC' 
an electronic scratchpad. 


equations as they’re typed, it instantly calculates . 
the results. Sounds simple? It is. In fact, 

IEEE Software writes, “It’s fun, and it’s 
much easier to use MathCAD 
than anything you’ve ever 
used before.” 


"MathCAD is a real gem of a software package ... 
a program that breaks new ground ... the starter 
of a new software category. ” The New York Times 

It’s the first numeric software that works 
like a word processor. The first software of its kind 
that’s not a programming language. Think of it as 
the first WYSIWYG calculator. For the first time ever, 
MathCAD lets you do calculations on your PC in real 
math notation, as simply as on a scratchpad. 
“MathCAD is likely to be a trendsetter. Its combi¬ 
nation of mathematic power and what-you-see- 
is-what-you-get interface makes it an excellent 
tool..." PC Week 

MathCAD lets you combine equations, graph¬ 
ics and text just like you do on paper. You can input 
formulas directly and edit equations interactively 
right on the screen. Just place the cursor anywhere 
and start typing. MathCAD not only formats your 


“It has a free form style 
that lets you just sit 
down in front of the PC 
and do the work you probably 
bought the computer for in the first 
place." PC Magazine 

MathCAD is much faster and easier than 
doing calculations by hand or writing programs. 

And unlike a calculator, MathCAD lets you see and 
record every step. You can add text anywhere to 
support your work. And print or save your entire 
calculation as an integrated document that anyone 
can understand. 

“It’s hard to do justice to this software in any re¬ 
view. You feel like you’ve just discovered the power 
of a computer for the first time. ’ ’ IEEE Software 
What kind of calculations can you do with 
MathCAD? Anything you have a formula for. As 
IEEE Software writes, “Its versatility seems unlim¬ 
ited.” With its wide range of built-in functions, 
MathCAD can handle everything from simple 


Requires IBM PC® or compatible, 512KB RAM, graphics card. 

IBM PC® International Business Machines Corporation. 

MathCAD™ MathSoft, Inc. 

CIRCLE NO. 246 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


math to 
your most 
sophisticated 
problems. 

Use MathCAD 
to calculate your 
mortgage payments, 
to solve a heat trans¬ 
fer problem, or to 
model electrical circuit 
parameters. 

“ ...if I dealt frequently with 
numbers , / wouldn’t wait... to 
get my copy. ’ ’ The New York Times 
Why spend another minute doing calcula¬ 
tions by hand or writing and debugging programs? 
Put MathCAD to work for you and find out why 
PC Magazine writes, “Warning: it could prove 
addictive.” Once you’ve tried MathCAD, it’s hard to 
imagine how you ever got along without it. 

To order MathCAD at just $249, call us today at: 

1-800-MathCAD 

(In Massachusetts: 617-577-1017) 

MathCAD 

MathSoft, Inc., 1 Kendall Sq., Cambridge, MA 02139 











































LAN STANDARDS 



In thin-wire Ethernet, a T-connector on the network interface card attaches the sta¬ 
tion to the bus. Thick-wire configurations uses a tap and a short spur cable. 


with a broadcast address, does the in¬ 
terface hardware pass the packet to the 
network station for further processing. 

The data field of a packet is com¬ 
posed of a 16-bit length field and a 
maximum 12,000-bit data field. The 
length field counts the number of 8-bit 
fields (octets) that are present in the 
data field. If the data field size is less 
than 368 bits, it is padded with zeros. 
Full transparency is provided in the 
data field—that is, any arbitrary se¬ 
quence of bits can be sent. 

ETHERNET IMPLEMENTATIONS 

An Ethernet-based LAN consists of one 
or more segments of coaxial cable ar¬ 
ranged in a bus topology; the segment 
cable visits each network device, and 
only one path traverses the network. 
Ethernet cable segments can be as short 
as 1 meter or as long as 1,000 meters. 
Ethernet networks can be implemented 
using either baseband or broadband. 

Ethernet baseband networks use 
two different types of coaxial cable: thin 
(RG-58, 50 ohm), for trunk segments of 
less than 304 meters; and thick (RG-11, 
50 ohm), which can be installed in 
lengths of up to 500 meters. Some ven¬ 
dors, such as 3Com, supply transceivers 
able to operate on thick coax segments 
up to 1,000 meters in length. 

Ethernet’s thin wire was designed 
for office LANs. It can be ordered either 
in a variety of precut lengths with con¬ 
nectors installed or in bulk. Devices are 
attached to a thin-wire network via BNC 
T-connectors. A minimum distance of 1 
meter is required between each station 
to control standing waves. Each end of 
the thin-wire segment must be termi¬ 
nated (electrically completed) by a BNC 
50-ohm terminator. A maximum of 100 
stations can be connected to a thin-wire 
segment. Figure 6 shows an example of 
a thin-wire Ethernet network. 

The thick-wire version, sometimes 
referred to as backbone Ethernet , sup¬ 
ports wider area networks; it can be 
used to tie together thin-wire networks. 
As in thin-wire implementations, the 
number of taps (device connections) 
and their spacing and length are limited 
by the need to control standing waves. 
Stations are connected to a thick wire 
via an external transceiver (figure 6). 
The minimum distance between trans¬ 
ceivers is 2.5 meters; the maximum 
length of the cable connecting a device 
to a transceiver is 50 meters. A thick- 
wire segment can support up to 100 
transceiver connections. 

Thick and thin wire can work in 
combination in Ethernet implementa¬ 
tions. In these combination networks 


the maximum segment length lies be¬ 
tween the thick- and thin-wire maxi- 
mums. The following formula calculates 
a maximum segment length (in meters) 
in a mixed media implementation: 

Max_Segment = MIN(T +(E/3.28), 1,000) 

where T is the length of thin wire and 
E is the length of thick wire. 

Ethernet networks can be extended 
with repeaters. A maximum of two re¬ 
peaters is allowed in a path between 
any two network stations. A standard re¬ 
peater has about the same delay as a 
500-meter segment, because it must 
recover the clock for each packet and 
adjust gain controls. Repeaters are at¬ 
tached to the Ethernet wire via trans¬ 
ceivers and can be placed on any per¬ 
missible transceiver connection point. 
They contain logic to prevent the failure 
of a network segment from disabling 
the entire network; they do not repeat 
erroneous signals. Multiport repeaters, 
such as Digital Equipment’s DEMPR 
unit, can connect up to eight thin-wire 
segments in a star topology. 

Repeaters that are connected by fi¬ 
ber optic cable are now available from 
some vendors. With this cable, die max¬ 
imum distance between segments can 
reach beyond 1,000 meters. 


STARLAN IMPLEMENTATIONS 

StarLAN is AT&T’s twisted-pair imple¬ 
mentation of the CSMA/CD protocol. 
Even though StarLAN’s 1-Mbps speed is 
slower than Ethernet’s 10 Mbps, the 
ease of wiring the network outweighs 
most performance considerations, espe¬ 
cially in small networks. 

The wiring uses a four-pair mod¬ 
ular cord that closely resembles normal 
modular telephone cable. However, 
standard four-pair modular telephone 
cables cannot be used without modifica¬ 
tion, because the pin configurations on 
the jacks are different. Instead, AT&T 
DE8A-DE or compatible modular cord 
with AT&T 451-A connection adapters 
can be used if necessary. 

StarLAN networks can be config¬ 
ured in a star topology, a daisy chain, 
or a combination of the two. StarLAN’s 
daisy-chaining ability is an important ad¬ 
vantage. Each device is linked in series 
to the next, with the Ethernet-equivalent 
T-connector integrated into the NIC. 

The output of one workstation card 
leads to an input on a second card (see 
figure 7). The daisy-chained installation 
is appropriate for a network with 10 or 
fewer stations and with a maximum dis¬ 
tance between the two ends of the 
cable measuring less than 122 meters. 


JUNE 1987 


63 


Adaptedfrom NetWare Installation Supplement for 3Com EtherLink and EtherLink Plus 





































































... DELIVERS THESE ESSENTIAL FEATURES. 
DOES YOUR DBMS? 


MDBS III is more powerful than 
most mainframe data base management 
systems. . and less expensive. MDBS III 
was designed for serious application 
developers like you. Like the developers 
of Solomon III, the “Number One” 
accounting system. And all the others 
who demand these essential features 
MDBS III provides: 

DATA STRUCTURING- So flexible it 
captures any data relationship you can 
imagine. So comprehensive you’ll design 
complex data bases faster than ever. 

TRUE MULTI-USER -Few DBMSs give 
you as many facilities to guard against 
haphazard concurrent data modification 
as MDBS III does, down to the locking 
of individual data records. 

PERFORMANCE- MDBS III gives you 
fast data modification and retrieval plus 
extensive performance tuning facilities. 

DATA INTEGRITY- MDBS III pro¬ 
vides airtight integrity assurances. . from 
range checking to transaction-logging to 
enforcement of data relationships all 
automatically. 


PHYSICAL DATA PROTECTION - 

You get automatic recovery from media 
as well as from physical data destruction. 

DATA SECURITY— Protect your data 
using passwords, encryption, and read/ 
write access down to the field level. 

PORTABILITY -MDBS III runs on a 
range of mini and micro computers, 
including LANs, and supports a variety 
of host language interfaces. 

SUPPORT —mdbs is there when you 
need us, with in-depth seminars, tele¬ 
phone support, individual consulting 
and contract programming to help you 
develop and install your applications. 

Call us today at 1-800-344-5832 for more 
information; in Canada or Indiana, dial 
3 1 7-463-258 1 . Or write mdbs, P.O. Box 248, 
Lafayette, IN 47902. TELEX 209147 
ISEUR. 


CIRCLE NO. 211 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

mdbs is a registered trademark and MDBS III is a trademark of Micro Data Base Systems, Inc. IMS is a trademark of IBM; IDMS of Cullinet. -J 


me 


Jb* 



LAN STANDARDS 



In small StarLAN networks, stations can be daisy-chained; larger networks must use 
a star coupler to extend capacity. Both methods can be used in a single network. 


A network that exceeds 122 meters 
must incorporate a star topology in 
which each device is cabled back to a 
central point, called the network exten¬ 
sion unit (NEU). As many as 11 stations 
can be connected to a single NEU, each 
using up to 245 meters of cable. A net¬ 
work with more than 11 stations re¬ 
quires multiple NEUs, one of which 
must be configured as a master device 
with all others connected to it with 10 
feet or less of cable. Secondary NEUs 
cannot be used to extend the geo¬ 
graphic span of a StarLAN network. 

StarLAN is flexible enough to allow 
both a daisy chain and star topology in 
the same network. As figure 7 shows, 
daisy chains composed of 2 to 10 sta¬ 
tions can be cabled back to a single 
NEU port. The maximum distance al¬ 
lowed from a particular daisy chain to 
the NEU is as follows (in meters): 

STATIONS DISTANCE 

2-5 245 

6 225 

7 190 

8 170 

9 140 

10 125 

The distance can be extended with 
a network interface module connecting 
the StarLAN network to AT&T’s informa¬ 
tion systems network (ISN) data switch. 
ISN supports a variety of connections at 
distances of up to a few thousand 
meters (depending on wiring), but the 
necessary protocol conversion is not 
supported by all network software, such 
as Novell’s NetWare. 

TOKEN-PASSING BUSES 

Installing a network in a factory re¬ 
quires a great deal of flexibility in to¬ 
pology—in cable lengths and the ability 
to use trees and stars, with repeaters. 
The network must be extremely reliable 
and have an upper bound on response 
time. The token-passing bus helps meet 
these objectives. The manufacturing 
automation protocol (MAP), developed 
by General Motors and the Society of 
Manufacturing Engineers, implements a 
token-passing bus; its basic concepts 
also are used in ARCnet networks. 

The IEEE 802.4 standard defines a 
token bus that can be implemented in 
baseband, broadband, and hybrid appli¬ 
cations. The bus behaves similarly to 
the token ring in that its algorithm 
passes the token in a sequential manner 
from station to station. 

A token bus behaves logically as a 
ring network, as shown in figure 8. 

After a station has completed transmit¬ 
ting any data frames, the station sends a 


token MAC frame to its successor. It lis¬ 
tens for evidence that the successor has 
heard the frame and is active. If the 
token sender does not hear a valid 
frame, it listens for up to four time slots 
and then retransmits. If the successor 
still does not transmit a valid token 
frame, it assumes the successor failed. 
The sender then transmits a who fol¬ 
lows frame that queries all stations, ask¬ 
ing who follows the specified address 
of the failing successor. This allows the 
sender to establish a new successor and 
continue passing the token. 

Response windows allow new sta¬ 
tions to enter the logical ring. Special 
solicit successor frames specify a range 
of open station addresses, to which an 
entering station responds if its address 
is within the range. The soliciting sta¬ 
tion must establish a new successor if 
one responds. Like the token-ring pro¬ 
tocol, priority bits can be used to by¬ 
pass stations with low priority frames. 

Three media and transmission 
methods are included in standard 802.4. 
The 1-Mbps version uses an omnidi¬ 
rectional bus and 75-ohm coaxial cable, 
such as RG-6, RG-11, and semirigid 
(CATV). Drop cables are 25- to 50-ohm 
stubs, less than 350 millimeters long. A 
long, unbranched trunk cable with very 
short stubs is recommended. Active re¬ 
generative repeaters can be used for 
branching and extension of the system. 
Signaling is by Manchester encoding. 


A 5- and 10-Mbps baseband version 
also uses an omnidirectional bus and 
75-ohm cable, with very short drops. 
Semirigid cable with RG-6 drops is rec¬ 
ommended. Active repeaters are used 
for branching the bus and extensions of 
the cable. Signaling is by frequency shift 
keying (FSK) with direct encoding of 
data and nondata symbols at particular 
frequency shifts. 

The broadband version uses CATV- 
like semirigid trunk cable and flexible 
drops. Standard CATV amplifiers are 
used, with head-end regenerative re¬ 
peaters that provide the clock signal. 
Speeds of 1, 5, and 10 Mbps are sup¬ 
ported in broadband channels of 1.5, 6, 
and 12 MHz, respectively. Signaling is 
by amplitude modulation of the radio 
frequency signal, with three levels: zero, 
nondata, and one. The nondata level is 
used to ensure synchronization. 

ARCNET 

Although Datapoint’s ARCnet is related 
to the 802.4 token-passing bus standard, 
it predates that standard and thus does 
not strictly conform. Unlike the IEEE 
standards, ARCnet is a result of informal 
cooperation by many manufacturers, in¬ 
cluding Davong, Nestar, Standard Micro¬ 
systems, Tiara, and Waterloo. The ARC¬ 
net standard is followed so closely by 
these companies that a network can be 
set up with different cards, all commu¬ 
nicating transparently. 


JUNE 1987 


65 


Adapted from NetWare Installation Supplement for AT&T StarLAN 


























































































This is bby 

THE MOST WELL KNOWN 
PROGRAMMING LANGU AGE 
YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF. 



If you’re in the business of program¬ 
ming business solutions, you need to 
know about BB X . 

Throughout the world, the industry's 
best and brightest programmers are 
discovering the power that BB X brings 
to Business BASIC. 

And the numbers are growing. This 
year, over 30,000 copies of BB X are per¬ 
forming across the United States, 
Canada, Europe, Asia and South 
America. 

BB X IS GOOD 
COMPANY WITH 
SOME GOOD 
COMPANIES. 


The BB X name is well known to some 
of the most well respected names in the 
computer industry. 

Open Systems. Altos and State of the 
Art have adopted the BB X language for 
their accounting packages. NCR 
selected BB X as their standard Business 
BASIC offering. 

These diverse companies, with very dif¬ 
ferent needs, depend on the wide-ranging 
capabilities of BB X and the availability of over 
1,000 BB X vertical application packages rang¬ 
ing from hospitality to waste management. 

IT MATTERS THAT 
YOU’RE RUNNING 
BB X . IT SELDOM 
MATTERS WHAT 
COMPUTER. 

The power of BB X is unique in its enhance¬ 
ment of the Business BASIC language. You’ll 
discover, though, that there need not be 
anything special about the computer you’re 
programming. 

BB X will make you a believer on most every 
major computer brand available today. And 
BB X is portable. With BB X , you have 
guaranteed portability of your application 
across all supported operating environments. 
This means a program written on a single- 
user PC can run with NO. modification on 
over 35 different UNIX computers! 


It ■ Vj 


38 W**#" 


_ 


BB X IS THE SINGLE 
BIGGEST STEP YOU 
CAN MAKE TO 
OPTIMIZE YOUR 
BUSINESS BASIC 
LANGUAGE. 


And it begins with this step. Call us at 
BASIS Incorporated. Find out how you 
can stay in step with the thousands of 
BB X programmers and bring an entire 
new dimension to your business 
applications. 

We’ll send you information on our just 
released BB X Progression/2, the 
newest, most advanced programming 
language from BASIS. 

6B X Progression/2 will do much more 
than add personality to your language. 
That's not the half of it. 

BB X Progression/2 will give your 
Business BASIC a whole new character. 


BB* IS SETTING NEW 
STANDARDS WITHIN 
A 15-YEAR STANDARD. 


BB X is simply the most contemporary 
implementation of one of the most tradi¬ 
tional products in computer programming. 

Features like pop-up windowing on 
dumb terminals, device independent 
graphics, multi-keyed files, string arrays, 
long variable and function names, 
trigometric functions, matrix arithmetic, 
and others are simpler and swifter than 
you ever thought possible. 

There are many other examples of BB X 
excellence like its callable business 
graphics utility set that makes graphics 
presentation of your data easy. 


To order BB X TODAY, CALL TOLL FREE 
directly to our order department, 

1 - 800 - 423-1394 


BB For DOS: 

BB X FOR DOS Networks: 
BB X FOR XENIX 286: 
BB X FOR XENIX 386: 
BB X FOR UNIX: 


$295 

$595 

$695 

$995 


$695 to $5,000 
depending on system 
For technical support, or more information 
about BB X , please call us 

1-505-821-4407 

BASIS Incorporated 
P.O. Box 20400 

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87154 
Electronic Bulletin Board 1-505-821-2933 
MCI Mail, BASIS (255-8242) 

Telex 6502558242 mci 
BB X is available on most popular UNIX, DOS and 
Network environments. Please call for assistance 
with your particular requirements. 

UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories. 
NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation. 
Altos is a trademark of Altos Computer Systems. 
Xenix is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. 


BB J Progression /2 


TM 


CIRCLE NO. 133 ON READER SERVICE CARD 




















LAN STANDARDS 



A token bus behaves logically like a token ring. An assigned sequence determines the order in which stations access the bus. 


A distributed star architecture, simi¬ 
lar to StarLAN, is used to implement the 
bus, which runs at 2.5 Mbps. ARCnet is 
limited by being able to send only sin¬ 
gle packets of 508 bytes. Novell Net¬ 
Ware sends 560-byte read and write 
packets to its file server, so an ARCnet 
system must send two packets, with the 
second requiring an additional token 
cycle. The positive acknowledgement of 
the token system keeps an upper bound 
on response time, however. 

ARCnet stars are centered with ac¬ 
tive and passive hubs. A passive hub has 
four connectors for up to four worksta¬ 
tions in a simple network, or it con¬ 
nects three to an active hub. An active 
hub conditions, boosts, and relays the 
signal to stations, passive hubs, or other 
active hubs. It has eight connectors. 

An ARCnet network must not ex¬ 
ceed 6,000 meters. The maximum dis¬ 
tance between an active hub and a net¬ 
work station or another active hub is 
600 meters. The maximum distance be¬ 
tween an active hub and a passive hub 
is 30 meters, as is the maximum dis¬ 
tance between a passive hub and a net¬ 
work station. Passive hubs cannot be di¬ 
rectly connected, and no loops are al¬ 
lowed. The cable is RG-62 93-ohm coax, 
with BNC connectors. 

TOKEN-RING ACCESS 

After several experimental implementa¬ 
tions of the token-ring access method, 
Prime Computer and Apollo began sell¬ 
ing such networks in the early 1980s. 
Meanwhile, IBM issued several state¬ 
ments of direction and published its 
wiring plan with token ring in mind, 
then announced a version to network 
PCs as the first implementation. IBM’s 
network has now been extended to link 


an IBM 3725 mainframe communica¬ 
tions controller to a PC, to allow the PC 
to function as a terminal or gateway. 

The existence of a nonproprietary 
standard, combined with IBM’s support, 
has made IEEE’s 802.5 a very popular 
protocol. Many vendors offer products 
that are compatible with 802.5, includ¬ 
ing General Instrument, Proteon, 3Com, 
and Ungermann-Bass. Diagnostic tools, 
such as Network General’s Sniffer pro¬ 
tocol analyzer, are also available. (For 
more detailed information on the 802.5 
token-ring network, see “The Token- 
Ring Solution,” J. Scott Haugdahl, Janu¬ 
ary 1987, p. 50.) 

A token ring consists of a set of 
workstations connected by a cable in 
which data are transmitted sequentially 
from one station to the next; the receiv¬ 
ing station is responsible for repeating 
and regenerating the signal to the next 
station in the ring. The station whose 
address matches the destination address 
field in the packet copies the informa¬ 
tion as it passes and processes it ac¬ 
cording to the MAC functions of layer 2 
in 802.5. The address station also passes 
the information to the next station on 
the ring; the station that transmitted the 
packet finally removes it from die ring. 

A station is authorized to transmit 
when it detects a token. When a station 
captures the token, it can modify it to 
make a frame, consisting of the start-of- 
frame sequence, control and status 
fields, address fields, information fields, 
the frame check sequence, and the end- 
of-frame sequence. After this new frame 
is created, the sending station initiates a 
new token, which allows other stations 
around the ring to access it. A token¬ 
holding timer controls the maximum 
amount a time a station can use the me¬ 


dium, either transmitting a new frame 
or not, before passing the token. 

The 802.5 standard includes a sys¬ 
tem of priorities, determined by the 
type of message, such as synchronous, 
asynchronous, and immediate (network 
recovery). The present IBM token-ring 
implementation for PCs does not sup¬ 
port priorities, however. 

The protocol used for initializing a 
token ring and recovering from hard 
errors defines a complex, five-state, fi¬ 
nite state heuristic machine. The 802.5 
standard includes a protocol for failure 
domain identification that notifies all 
stations farther around the ring of a fail¬ 
ure. This may not allow the network to 
heal itself, but an error message could 
help pinpoint the failure. 

IBM’s TOKEN-RING 

In its Token-Ring Network, IBM allows 
two types of cable: a shielded twisted 
pair (types 1, 2, and 9) and unshielded 
telephone-style wire (type 3). The IBM 
type 1 cable allows more reliable com¬ 
munications and has longer distance al¬ 
lowances than type 3. 

A maximum of 260 devices can be 
connected on a ring, including 33 IBM 
Multistation Access Units (MAU). All ca¬ 
bles (or lobes) from the distribution 
panel containing the MAU to the work¬ 
stations must be less than 100 meters, 
with some exceptions if the overall net¬ 
work is small. For a permanent installa¬ 
tion, IBM recommends a rack in each 
wire closet into which cables to all pos¬ 
sible stations terminate on IBM cabling 
system connectors. Short lengths of 
type-1 cable are used to patch the rack 
connectors to the MAU. 

IBM provides charts to compute 
the allowable lengths of various seg- 


JUNE 1987 


67 


Adapted from IEEE Std. 802.4 (1985) 































































LAN STANDARDS 

ments in its Token-Ring Network. The 
longest segments are possible when all 
MAUs are in the same wiring closet. 

The IBM Copper Repeater allows a ring 
to cover a larger area, up to 775 meters 
in a very simple network. Optical fiber 
repeaters also can be used to extend 
lengths and to link buildings that have 
ground potential differences or high 
electromagnetic interference. Optical 
fiber repeaters extend the distance in 
increments of 2 kilometers for each 
IBM repeater. (Information on the IBM 
Cabling System can be found in 
“Underlying Connections,” J. Scott 
Haugdahl, December 1986, p. 126.) 

CABLING OPTIONS 

In the past, cable media types—coax, 
twisted pair, etc.—were wedded to spe¬ 
cific network protocols. For example, 
802.3 systems were available on only 
two varieties of coax. This will not be 
true in the long run. The industry is 
evolving to media-independent imple¬ 
mentations of the major IEEE network 
standards. 3Com recently announced 
support of unshielded twisted-pair wir¬ 
ing for its 10-Mbps Ethernet system, and 
IBM supports three types of media on 
its Token-Ring Network. 

Normal telephone grade (24-gauge, 
unshielded) twisted-pair wiring is be¬ 
coming the de facto standard for small 
departmental LANs. This cable is inex¬ 
pensive and easy to work with. In many 
cases extra pairs of existing telephone 
wire can be used to implement a small 
LAN with minimal cost. 

For larger networks—involving 
multiple floors in the same building, for 
example—either coax or higher gauge 
shielded cable is preferred Networks 
that span larger geographical areas— 
such as between buildings—most ofteii 
use fiber optic media. 

In general, the trend is toward 
fiber optic media. A consensus is devel¬ 
oping for a standard 62.5-micron core; 
125-micron-cladding fiber was originally 
designed for moderate-distance links 
between telephone switching offices. 
Because it transmits light, fiber cable 
can provide communications speeds 10 
to 100 times that of copper media. 

Other advantages to fiber media in¬ 
clude the following: 

• Small size and weight—a single fiber 
can be used to replace a 300-pair tele¬ 
phone trunk cable. 

• Immunity from electromagnetic inter¬ 
ference—especially important in envi¬ 
ronments such as hospitals, manufac¬ 
turing sites, and television studios 
where copper media can easily pick 
up electromagnetic noise. 


• Security—the fiber cable must be bro¬ 
ken to be tapped. 

• Nonelectrical characteristics—fiber 
media can be used in hazardous envi¬ 
ronments such as oil refineries or 
where electrical code would not per¬ 
mit wiring above suspended ceilings. 

• Low signal loss—this allows networks 
to embrace larger geographical areas. 

Fiber optic technology is still in its 
infancy. Improvements in fiber transmit¬ 
ters and receivers will greatly increase 
the bandwidth of existing fiber media. 
The major disadvantage is cost. Because 
this is still a specialized industry, com¬ 
ponents and installation cost substantial¬ 
ly more than an equivalent copper net¬ 
work. As more fiber is put in place, 
these costs can be expected to drop. 

followers of these IEEE 
LAN hardware standards 
are quite unlikely to find 
themselves in possession of 
orphaned technology. 


Recently, an ANSI committee 
(X3T.9) published a standard for a vari¬ 
ant of the 802.5 token ring that operates 
on high-speed fiber media. The Fiber 
Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) de¬ 
fines a token-ring network that commu¬ 
nicates through fiber at 100 Mbps. Up 
to 500 nodes can be placed on the net¬ 
work, which can be as large as 100 ki¬ 
lometers in circumference. FDDI’s most 
innovative feature is fault-tolerance: the 
ring can recover from a cable break or 
station crash without intervention. This 
reliability is accomplished with a sec¬ 
ond counter-rotating ring. When two 
stations detect a break between them, 
they redirect traffic to the secondary 
ring, reestablishing the connection. 

STANDARDS FOR THE FUTURE 

Each of these LAN hardware standards 
has characteristics that make it a com¬ 
mendable design choice for a particular 
environment. The CSMA/CD protocol is 
relatively simple, works well at low to 
medium network utilizations, and is 
widely implemented by a variety of 
manufacturers on many types of media. 
Most LANs that are not time critical can 
be successfully implemented on CSMA/ 
CD systems. The lower installation costs 
of StarLAN networks make it an ideal 
choice for small networks. 


Under .heavy loads, however, token 
networks provide better performance. A 
major advantage of token systems is that 
a station response is deterministic—a 
known upper bound is set for the 
amount of time a station must wait be¬ 
fore transmitting. In contrast, station de¬ 
lay time in CSMA/CD can be expressed 
only statistically; in the worst case, be¬ 
cause every attempt to transmit can po¬ 
tentially cause a collision, a station may 
be blocked indefinitely. Token architec¬ 
tures allow a critical station to be given 
priority access to the media. In addi¬ 
tion, token systems do not impose mini¬ 
mum packet size requirements as 
CSMA/CD does. The principal disadvan¬ 
tage of token networks are their com¬ 
plexity, such as the fault recovery or 
ring initialization procedures. Also, they 
exhibit a fair amount of overhead, espe¬ 
cially under lightly loaded conditions. 

Regardless of the choice of LAN 
technology, the benefits of opting for 
one of the standards presented here are 
overriding. Support from multiple ven¬ 
dors creates competition, which leads 
to product improvements and better 
value per dollar. Followers of these 
standards are also unlikely to find them¬ 
selves in possession of orphaned tech¬ 
nology; the same cannot be said for net¬ 
works proprietary to one vendor. 

The widespread support of hard¬ 
ware standards leads LAN software ven¬ 
dors to provide operating systems that 
run on standard networks. For example, 
Novell’s NetWare supports ARCnet and 
all of the 802 standards; 3Com’s 3Plus 
supports Ethernet and IBM’s Token- 
Ring. In contrast, IBM’s PC LAN operates 
only on the Token-Ring and IBM’s pro¬ 
prietary networks. By selecting a LAN 
operating system that supports multiple 
standards, it is possible to use identical 
software across multiple LANs, yet still 
be able to choose the most appropriate 
LAN hardware. 

As evidenced by the vendor imple¬ 
mentations discussed here, there is con¬ 
siderable room for innovation within 
the bounds of these standards; the use 
of the 802.5 standard as the foundation 
for FDDI is one example. Although 
standards can sometimes be faulted for 
locking in the technology of the past, 
the IEEE standards are flexible enough 
to serve into the future. liiiiimimffil 


Art Krumrey is director of user's services , in¬ 
formation systems, at Loyola University, 
where he has installed 10 networks. John 
Kolman is director of computer networks 
and support, also at Loyola University. He 
has installed a multisegment Ethernet net¬ 
work throughout the Loyola Medical Center. 


68 


PC TECH JOURNAL 



When we founded Programmer’s 
Connection in 1984, we dedicated 
ourselves to providing high quality 
personal service to every cus¬ 
tomer. Since then, we’ve quickly 
grown to be the leading inde¬ 
pendent dealer in this industry. 

CELEBRATE 
WITH US 

To celebrate our success, we’re 
offering special sale prices on 
many of our products. We’re also 
featuring some select, high-quality 
products on this page that repre¬ 
sent exceptional values. 

As we now enter our fourth 
year of business, we’d like to say 
“thanks/” to all of you who gave 
us the opportunity to serve you. 
And to those of you who haven’t 
yet discovered our low prices and 
quality service, we extend a hearty 
invitation to give us a try You’ll 
be glad you did! 


Turn the page for our latest 
advertised price list. 
Sale prices effective through 
June 30,1987. 

Call or write for our FREE 
comprehensive price guide. 


...thanks! 


TURBOsmith by Visual Age 

is a powerful debugging en¬ 
vironment for Turbo Pascal 
featuring automatic, multi¬ 
window readout of your source 
programs and variables. Trace 
and breakpoint with single¬ 
keystroke commands and 
watch the values of variables 
and expressions change. 
Supports Overlays, .COM 
and chain files. Synchronized 
Machine Code window has 
built-in assembler for in-line 
work. 

List $69 Ours $59 

PERSONAL COBOL by Micro 
Focus is a fully-integrated 
program development system 
for creating sophisticated 
applications on your IBM 
Personal Computer or Per¬ 
sonal System/2.This versatile 
package comes complete with 
a full-screen text editor, source 
code generator for screens, 
syntax checker, automatic file 
handling and an interactive 
source-level debugging facility. 

List $149 Sale $99 

-PURCHASE A SUPPORTED 
C COMPILERand receive 50% 
off any of the following librar¬ 
ies (when purchased on the 
same order): 


Data Management 

List 

Without 

Language 

"With 

Language 

Consultants 

Zview Screen Mgmt 

Library 

$245 

$139 

$122.50 

Essential Software 

C Utility Library 

185 

119 

92.50 

Essential Graphics 

250 

183 

125.00 

Essential Comm Library 

185 

125 

92.50 

with Breakout Debugger 

250 

189 

125.00 


QUALITY. We carry the finest 
selection of the best programmer’s 
development tools specifically for 
IBM Personal Computers and 
compatibles. They are the latest 
versions and most come with 
return guarantees or evaluation 
periods. 

SUPPORT. Our courteous, know¬ 
ledgeable, non-commissioned 
salespeople are always ready to 
assist you. Our experienced tech¬ 
nical consultants can answer 
questions about products and 
provide sound, unbiased advice. 

PRICE. UPS Ground shipping is 
FREE to all U.S. customers. There 
are no extra charges for credit 
cards, CODs, purchase orders, 
sales tax (except Ohio) or special 
handling (except for export pre¬ 
paration). Quite simply, the prices 
on the next two pages are all 
you pay 

INTEGRITY. We’re very proud 
of the trust we’ve earned from 
our customers and pledge always 
to be worthy of it. 

















arity products 

Arity Combination Package. 

Expert System Development Pkg. 

File Interchange Toolkit. 

PROLOG Compiler & Interpreter. 

Screen Design Toolkit. 

SQL Development Package. 

Arity PROLOG Interpreter. 

Arity Standard Prolog. 

ai - expert systems 

1st-CLASS by Programs in Motion . 

Autointelligence by IntelligenceWare . 

ExpertEDGE Advanced by Human Edge . 

ExpertEDGE Professional by Human Edge . 

Experteach II by IntelligenceWare . 

EXSYS Development Software by EXSYS . 

EXSYS Runtime System. 

Insight 1 by Level Five Research . 

Insight 2+ by Level Five Research . 

Intelligence/Compiler IntelligenceWare . 

Logic-Line Series 1 by Thunderstone . 

Logic-Line Series 2 by Thunderstone . 

Logic-Line Series 3 by Thunderstone . 

ai - lisp language 

GCLISP Golden Common LISP by Gold Hill . 

GCLISP 286 Developer by Gold Hill . 

IQCLISP by Integral Quality . 

IQLISP by Integral Quality . 

Microsoft LISP Common LISP . 

QNIAL Combines LISP 8 APL by NIAL Systems .... 

Starter QNIAL by NIAL Systems . New 

TransLISP from Solution Systems . 

TransLISP PLUS from Solution Systems . 

ai - prolog language 

APT Active Prolog Tutor from Solution Systems . 

LPA microPROLOG All Varieties . 

MPROLOG Language Primer LOGICWARF . 

MPROLOG P500 by LOGICWARE . 

MPROLOG P550 by LOGICWARE . 

Prolog-86 from Solution Systems . 

Prolog-86 Plus from Solution Systems . 

Turbo PROLOG by Borland Inti . 

Turbo PROLOG Toolbox by Borland Inti . 

ai - Smalltalk language 

Smalltalk/V by Digitalk . 

EGA/VGA Color Option. 

Goodies Diskette. 

Smalltalk/Comm. 

ai - texas instruments 

PC Scheme Lisp . 

Personal Consultant Easy. 

Personal Consultant Plus. 

Personal Consultant Runtime. 

apl language 

APL*PLUS/PC bySTSC . 

APL*PLUS/PC Spreadsheet Mgr bySTSC . 

APL*PLUS/PC Tools Vol 1 bySTSC . 

APL*PLUS/PC Tools Vol 2 bySTSC . 

ATLAS-GRAPHICS bySTSC . New 

Financial/Statistical Library by STSC . 

Pocket APL by STSC . 

STATGRAPHICS bySTSC . 

assembly language 

386 ASM/LINK Cross Asm by Phar Lap . 

8088 Assembler w/Z-80 Translator by 2500 AD . . . 
Advanced Norton Utilities by Peter Norton. . . . New 

ASMLIB Function Library by BC Assoc . 

asmTREE B-Tree Dev System by BC Assoc . 

Cross Assemblers Itirious by 2500 AD . 

Microsoft Macro Assembler. 

Norton Utilities by Peter Norton . 

screenplay by Plexus . 

Turbo EDITASM by Speedware . 

Uniware Cross Assemblers Various by SDS . 

Visible Computer: 8088 Software Masters . 

basic language 

87 Software Pak by Hauppauge . 

EXIM Services Toolkit by EXIM . 

Finally by Komputerwerks . 

Inside Track from Micro Help . 

MACH 2 by Micro Help . 

Microsoft QuickBASIC Compiler. 

Peeks 'n Pokes from MicroHelp . 

Professional BASIC by Morgan . 

8087 Math Support. 

QuickPak by Crescent Software . 

Scientific Subroutine Library by Peerless . 

Stay-Res by MicroHelp . 

True Basic wlRun-time . 

True Basic. 

Run-time Module. 

Various Utilities . 

Turbo BASIC Compiler by Borland Inti . 

blaise products 

ASYNCH MANAGER Specify C or Pascal . 

C TOOLS PLUS . 

EXEC Program Chainer . 

LIGHT TOOLS lor Datalight C . 

PASCAL TOOLS. 

PASCAL TOOLS 2. 

PASCAL TOOLS & TOOLS 2. 

RUNOFF Text Formatter . 

TURBO ASYNCH PLUS. 

TURBO POWER TOOLS PLUS. 

VIEW MANAGER Specify C or Pascal . 


1095 

979 

295 

229 

50 

44 

650 

569 

50 

44 

295 

229 

295 

229 

95 

77 


495 

399 

990 

739 

2500 

CALL 

5000 

CALL 

475 

339 

395 

309 

600 

469 

95 

75 

485 

379 

990 

739 

90 

85 

125 

115 

150 

139 


495 

CALL 

1190 

CALL 

300 

CALL 

270 

CALL 

250 

149 

375 

339 

99 

89 

95 

CALL 

195 

CALL 


65 

CALL 

CALL 

CALL 

50 

45 

495 

395 

220 

175 

125 

CALL 

250 

CALL 

100 

63 

100 

64 


99 

84 

100 

85 

49 

45 

49 

42 


95 

84 

495 

435 

2950 

2589 

95 

84 


595 

424 

195 

139 

295 

199 

85 

58 

CALL 

CALL 

275 

189 

95 

69 

795 

579 


495 

389 

100 

89 

150 

99 

149 

125 

395 

339 

CALL 

CALL 

150 

93 

100 

59 

100 

79 

99 

84 

CALL 

CALL 

80 

64 


180 

149 

50 

45 

99 

85 

65 

51 

69 

55 

99 

63 

45 

37 

99 

68 

50 

42 

69 

59 

125 

99 

95 

73 

245 

179 

150 

97 

150 

97 

50 

41 

100 

64 


175 

119 

175 

119 

95 

65 

100 

CALL 

125 

94 

100 

CALL 

175 

119 

50 

39 

100 

CALL 

100 

CALL 

275 

179 


borland products 


EUREKA Equation Solver . 100 64 

Reflex & Reflex Vtorkshop. 200 128 

Reflex Data Base System . 150 89 

Reflex Vtorkshop. 70 45 

Sidekick & Traveling Sidekick. 125 85 

Sidekick. 85 57 

Traveling Sidekick. 70 45 

Superkey. New Version 100 64 

Turbo BASIC Compiler. 100 64 

Turbo C Compiler. New 100 64 

Turbo Database Toolbox. 70 41 

Turbo Editor Toolbox. 70 41 

Turbo Gameworks Toolbox. 70 41 

Turbo Graphix Toolbox. 70 41 

Turbo Jumbo Pack Combination Package . New 300 219 

Turbo Lightning. 100 64 

Turbo PASCAL Numerical Methods Toolbox. 100 64 

Turbo PASCAL and Tutor. 125 85 

Turbo PASCAL. 100 64 

Turbo Tutor. 40 24 

Turbo PROLOG Compiler. 100 63 

Turbo PROLOG Toolbox. 100 64 

Wbrd Wizard. 70 47 

Word Wizard and Turbo Lightning. 150 94 

C + + 

C++ by Guidelines wl version 1.1 kernel . 195 172 

PforCe-f + Function Library by Phoenix . 395 225 

c compilers 

C86PLUS by Computer Innovations . 497 CALL 

Datalight C Compiler Small Model . 60 43 

Datalight Developer Kit. 99 74 

Datalight Optimum-C. 139 99 

DeSmet C wl Debugger & Large Case . 209 184 

DeSmet C wl Debugger Only . 159 138 

Eco-C with Graphics by Ecosoft . 125 83 

Lattice C Compiler vers. 3.2 from Lattice . Sale 500 249 

Mark Williams Let's C Combo Pack. . . New Version 125 99 


csd Source Level Debugger . New Version 75 54 

Microsoft C with CodeView . 450 269 

Turbo C Compiler by Borland Inti . New 100 64 

Uniware 68000/10/20 Cross Compiler by SDS. . . CALL CALL 

c interpreters 

C-terp by GimpelSpecify compiler . 300 219 

C Trainer with Book by Catalytix . 122 87 

Instant C by Rational Systems . Sale 500 349 

Introducing C by Computer Innovations . 125 CALL 

Run/C by Age of Reason . 120 79 

Run/C Professional by Age of Reason . 250 157 


c utilities 

C to dBase by Computer Innovations . 150 CALL 

c-tree & r-tree Combo by FairCom . Sale 650 449 

c-tree ISAM File Manager . Sale 395 269 

r-tree Report Generator . Sale 295 199 

C Windows by Syscom . 100 85 

C Wings by Syscom . 50 43 

Cl ROMPac by Computer Innovations . 195 CALL 

dBx dBase to C Translator by Desktop At . 350 299 

with Library Source Code . 550 469 

Various Support Utilities . CALL CALL 

EASY SCREEN by Retail Mgmt Systems . New 225 199 

Entelekon Products. CALL CALL 

Flash-up Windows by Software Bottling . 90 78 

Graphic Color version by Sci Endeavors . 350 282 

GRAFLIB by Sutrasoft .. 175 159 

HALO Graphics by Media Cybernetics . 300 205 

HALO Development Pkg for Microsoft . Sale 595 359 

The HAMMER by OES Systems . 195 129 

PANEL Forms Management by Roundhill . 295 CALL 

PANEL Plus by Roundhill . New 495 CALL 

PC Lint by Gimpel Software . 139 99 

PLOTHI by Sutrasoft . 175 159 

PLOTHP by Sutrasoft . 175 159 

Professional C Windows by Washburn . 89 79 

Scientific Subroutine Library by Peerless . 175 128 

screenplay for C by Plexus . CALL CALL 

Vitamin C by Creative Programming . 225 158 

VC Screen Forms Designer . 100 79 

Zview by Data Mgmt Consultants . ... See First Page 245 139 

cobol language 

COBOLspll by F/exus . New CALL CALL 

FPLIB for Realia COBOL by BC Associates . New 149 129 

Micro Focus COBOL See Micro Focus Section . 

Microsoft COBOL See Microsoft Section . 

Realia COBOL with RealMENU. New 1145 899 

Realia COBOL. 995 783 

RealCICS. 995 783 

RM/COBOL by Ryan-McFarland . 950 CALL 

RM/COBOL 85 by Ryan-McFarland . 1250 CALL 

screenplay lor COBOL by Plexus . 175 129 

debuggers & profilers 

386 DEBUG Cross Debugger by Phar Lap . 195 129 

Advanced Trace-86 by Morgan Computing . 175 115 

Cl Probe by Computer Innovations . 225 CALL 

Codesifter Pro!Her by David Smith . 119 85 

Codesmith - 86 by Visual Age . 145 98 

0SD87 by Soft Advances . 125 99 

MiniProbe by Atron . 395 CALL 

Periscope I with Board by Periscope . 345 289 

Periscope II with NMI Breakout Switch . 175 139 

Periscope II-X Software only . 145 105 

Periscope III wl Advanced Board . New 995 CALL 

The PROFILER with Source Code by DWB . 125 89 

TURBOsmith lor Turbo Pascal . See First Page 69 59 

The WATCHER Profiler by Stony Brook . 60 51 


dos utilities 


Command Plus by ESP Software . 80 69 

FANSI-CONSOLE by Hersey Micro . 75 62 

Norton Commander by Peter Norton . 75 55 

Scroll & Recall by Opt-Tech Data . 69 59 

Task view by Sunny Hill Software . 80 55 

essential products 

See First Page for Special Offers. 

C Essentials by Essential Software . 100 75 

C Utility Library. 185 119 

Essential Comm Library with Debugger . 250 189 

Essential Comm Library Software Only . 185 125 

Breakout Debugger Only Any language . 125 89 

Essential Graphics. 250 183 

forth language 

CFORTH Native Code Compiler by L Ml . 300 229 

Forth/83 Metacompiler Specify Target . 750 599 

PC/Forth by Laboratory Microsystems . 150 109 

PC/Forth + by Laboratory Microsystems . 250 199 

Advanced Color Graphics Support. 100 74 

Enhanced Graphics Support. 200 148 

Intel 8087 Support. 100 74 

Interactive Symbolic Debugger. 100 74 

Native Code Optimizer. 200 148 

Software Floating Point. 100 74 

UR/Forth by LMI . 350 279 

Object Module Libraries. 500 395 


fortran language 

50 MORE: FORTRAN by Peerless Engr . 125 95 

ACS Time Series Alpha Computer Service . 495 389 

Essential Graphics by Essential Software . 250 183 

For-Winds Alpha Computer Service . 90 69 

Forlib-Plus Alpha Computer Service . 70 44 

FORTLIB by Sutrasoft . 125 109 

FORTRAN Addendum by Impulse Engr . 95 85 

FORTRAN Addenda by Impulse Engr . 165 138 

GRAFLIB by Sutrasoft . 175 159 

HALO by Media Cybernetics . 300 205 

I/O PRO by MEF Environmental . 149 129 

Microcompatibles Combo Package. 240 215 

Grafmatic. 135 117 

Plotmatic. 135 117 

Microsoft FORTRAN wl CodeView . 450 269 

No Limit by MEF Environmental . 129 109 

Numerical Analyst by MAGUS . 295 CALL 

PANEL by Roundhill Computer Systems . 295 CALL 

PLOTHI by Sutrasoft . 175 159 

PLOTHP by Sutrasoft . 175 159 

RM/FORTRAN Ryan-McFarland . 595 CALL 

RTC PLUS Fortran to C by Cobalt Blue . 325 CALL 

Scientific Subroutine Lib by Peerless . 175 128 

Statistician Alpha Computer Service . 295 235 

Statlib.GL: by PS/Systems . 295 239 

Statlib.TSF: by PS/Systems . 295 239 

Strings & Things Alpha Computer Service . 70 45 

greenleaf products 

Greenleaf Comm Library. 185 125 

Greenleaf Data Windows. 225 157 

with Source Code . 450 289 

Greenleaf Functions. 185 125 


help utilities 

HELP/Control by MDS . 125 99 

On-line Help from Opt-Tech . 149 99 

SoftScreen/HELP//y Dialectic Systems . 195 149 

lattice products 

Lattice C Compiler ver 3.2 from Lattice . Sale 500 249 

with Library Source Code . 900 495 

C Cross Reference Generator. 50 37 

with Source Code . 200 139 

C-Food Smorgasbord Function Library . 150 95 

with Source Code . 300 179 

C-Sprite Source Level Debugger. . 175 119 

Curses Screen Manager . 125 85 

with Source Code . 250 169 

dBC Specify dBC II or dBC III . 250 169 

with Source Code . 500 356 

dBC III Plus. 750 CALL 

with Source Code . 1500 CALL 

LMK Make Facility . 195 138 

RPG II Combo All three items below . 1100 875 

RPG II Compiler No Royalties . 750 625 

RPG II SEU Screen Entry Utility . 250 199 

RPG II Sort/Merge. 250 199 

RPG II Screen Design Aid Utility. 350 309 

SecretDisk File Encryption Utility . 120 88 

SideTalk Resident Communications . 120 88 

SSP/PC Scientific Subroutine Library . Sale 350 229 

Text Management Utilities. 120 88 

TopView Toolbasket Function Library . 250 178 

with Source Code . 500 356 

metagraphics products 

Light WINDOWS/C for Datalight C . New 95 79 

MetaWINDOWS No Royalties . 18 5 109 

MetaFONTS. 80 58 

MetaWINDOWS/Plus. 235 184 

MetaFONTS/Plus. 235 184 

TurboWINDOW Graphics! Windows for Turbo Pascal .. 80 58 

micro focus products 

Micro Focus Level II COBOL wl Animator . New 495 395 

Level II COBOL. 349 279 

Level II Animator. 195 155 

Micro Focus Level II COBOL/ET for UNIX . ... New CALL CALL 

Micro Focus Personal COBOL. See First Page 149 99 

Micro Focus Professional COBOL. 2000 1595 

Micro Focus VS COBOL/XENIX. New 1495 1 195 



























































































































































































































































































Support Products: 

COBOL/IQ Ad hoc Report Writer . New 495 395 

COBOL/IQ for DOS 3.X Networks . New 995 795 

FORMS-2 . 295 235 

SOURCEWRITER. 995 795 

microport products 

System V/AT by Microport Systems . Sale 549 459 

Runtime System (Operating System) . 199 189 

Software Development System. 249 235 

Text Preparation System. 199 189 

User Upgrade 3 to Unlimited Users . 249 235 

microsoft products 

Microsoft BASIC Interpreter for XENIX . 350 209 

Microsoft C with CodeView . 450 269 

Microsoft COBOL wlCOBOL Tools . New Version 700 429 

for XENIX . 995 609 

Microsoft FORTRAN wl CodeView . 450 269 

tor XENIX . 695 419 

Microsoft Learning DOS. 50 36 

Microsoft LISP Common USE . 250 149 

Microsoft MACH 10 wl Mouse <5 Windows . 549 369 

Microsoft MACH 10 Board only . 399 279 

Microsoft Macro Assembler. 150 93 

Microsoft Mouse Bus Version . 175 114 

Microsoft Mouse Serial Version . 195 124 

Microsoft muMath Includes muSIMP . 300 1 79 

Microsoft Pascal Compiler. 300 179 

for XENIX . 695 419 

Microsoft QuickBASIC Compiler. 99 63 

Microsoft Sort. 195 125 

Microsoft Windows. 99 63 

Microsoft Windows Development Kit. 500 299 

modula-2 language 

lOTools by Bbodes Associates . 80 69 

with Source Code . 950 CALL 

MODULA-2 Apprentice Pkg by LOGITECH. 99 79 

MODULA-2 Magic Pkg by LOGITECH. 99 79 

MODULA-2 ROM Pkg & Cross RT Debugger .... 299 239 

MODULA-2 Window Pkg by LOGITECH. 49 39 

MODULA-2 Wizard’s Pkg by LOGITECH. 199 159 

REPERTOIRE for MODULA-2 by PM1 . 89 79 

Object Code Only . 19 15 

mouse products 

LOGIMOUSE BUS with PLUS Pkg by LOGITECH. ... 119 98 

with PL US & PC Paintbrush . 149 119 

with PLUS & CAO Software . 189 153 

with PLUS & CAD & Paint . 219 179 

LOGIMOUSE C7 with PLUS Pkg, Specify Connector . . 119 98 

with PL US 8 PC Paintbrush . 149 119 

with PL US 8 CAD Software . 189 153 

with PLUS 8 CAO 8 Paint . 219 179 

other languages 

CCS MUMPS Single-User by MGIobal . 60 50 

CCS MUMPS Single-UserMulti-Tasking . 150 129 

CCS MUMPS Multi-User . 450 359 

Janus/ADA C Pak by R8R Software . 95 84 

Janus/ADA D Pak by R8R Software . 900 769 

Janus/ADA ED Pak by R8R Software . 395. CALL 

Marshal Pascal by Marshal Language Systems .... 189 155 

Personal REXX by Mansfield Software . 125 99 

SN0B0L44- by Catspaw . 95 80 

other products 

Dan Bricklin's Demo Pgm Software Garden . 75 57 

Dan Bricklin’s Demo Tutorial. New 50 45 

Disk Optimizer by Softlogic Systems . 60 55 

FASTBACK by 5th Generation Systems . 179 133 

Informix All Varieties by Informix . CALL CALL 

Instant Replay by Nostradamus . New Version CALL CALL 

MKS Toolkit with vi Editor by MKS . 139 99 

Net-Tools by BC Associates . 149 129 

OPT-Tech Sort by Opt-Tech Data Proc . 149 99 

PC/TOOLS by Custom Software . New 49 45 

Screen Machine by MicroHetp . New 79 59 

VTEK Term Emulator by Set Endeavors . 150 129 

phoenix products 

Pasm86 Macro Assembler tersion 2.0 . 195 108 

Pdisk Hard Disk 8 Backup Utility . 145 99 

Pfantasy Pac Phoenix Combo . 995 619 

Pfinish Execution Profiler . 395 225 

Pfix86plus Symbolic Debugger . 395 225 

PforCe Comprehensive C Library . 395 225 

PforCe + + Library for Guidelines C++ . 395 225 

Plink86plus Overlay Linker . 495 299 

Pmaker Make Utility . 125 78 

Pmate Macro Text Editor . 195 108 

Pre-C Lint Utility . 295 154 

Ptel Binary File Transfer Program . 195 108 

polytron products 

PolyBoost The Software Accelerator . 80 64 

PolyDesk III. New 99 72 

PolyDesk III Archivist. New 50 42 

PolyDesk III Cryptographer. New 50 42 

PolyOesk III Talk. New 70 52 

PolyLibrarian Library Manager . 99 73 

PolyLibrarian II Library Manager . 149 109 

Poly Make UNIXI ike Make Facility . 149 109 

PolyShell. 149 109 

Polytron C Beautifier. 50 42 

Polytron C Library I. 99 72 


Polytron PowerCom Communications . 139 105 

PoIyXREF Complete Cross Ref Utility . 219 169 

PolyXREF One language only . 129 99 

PVCS Corporate Version Control System . 395 309 

PVCS Personal. 149 109 

PVMFM Polytron Virtual Memory File Mgr .... New CALL CALL 

program mgmt utilities 

Compact Source Print by Aldebaran . 55 44 

Interactive EASYFLOW 150 125 

PrintQ by Software Directions . 89 84 

Quilt Computing Combo Package .... New Version 250 1 99 

QMake Program Rebuild Utility . 99 79 

SRMS Software Revision Mgmt Sys . . New Version 185 159 

Source Print by Aldebaran Labs . 75 59 

TLIB by Burton Systems Software . 100 89 

Tree Diagrammer by Aldebaran Labs . 55 48 

raima products 

dbQUERY Single-User Query Utility . 195 129 

Single-User with Source Code . Sale 495 329 

Multi-User . Sale 495 329 

Multi-User with Source Code . Sale 990 659 

dbVISTA Single-User DBMS . 195 129 

Single-User with Source Code . Sale 495 329 

Multi-User . Sale 495 329 

Multi-User with Source Code . Sale 990 659 

sco products 

Complete XENIX System V by SCO . 1295 994 

Development System. 595 499 

Operating System Specify XT or AT. . 595 499 

Text Processing Package. 195 144 

Networks for XENIX by SCO . 595 495 

SCO Professional^/*/* done for XENIX . 795 595 

softcraft products 

Btrieve ISAM Mgr with No Royalties . 245 1 84 

Xtrieve Query Utility . 245 184 

Report Option for Xtrieve . 145 99 

Btrieve/N for Networks . 595 454 

Xtrieve/N. 595 454 

Report Option/N for XtrieveN . 345 269 

text editors 

Brief & dBrief Combo from Solution Systems . 250 CALL 

Brief Programmer's Text Editor . 195 CALL 

dBrief Customizes Brief for dBase III . 95 CALL 

Epsilon Emacs-like editor by Lugaru . 195 147 

KEDIT i by Mansfield Software . 125 98 

Micro/SPF by Phaser Systems . 175 139 

PC/VI by Custom Software Systems . 149 99 

SPF/PC by Command Technology Corp . . . New Version 245 CALL 

Vedit by CompuView . 150 98 

Vedit Plus by CompuView . 185 128 

turbo pascal utilities 

ALICE Interpreter by Software Channels . 95 66 

DOS/BIOS & Mouse Tools by Quinn-Curtis . 75 67 

Flash-up Windows by Software Bottling . 90 78 

MACH 2 for Turbo Pascal by Micro Help . New 69 55 

MetraByte D/A Tools by Quinn-Curtis . 100 89 

Science & Engrg Tools by Quinn-Curtis . 75 67 

Screen Sculptor by Software Bottling . 125 91 

screenplay for Turbo Pascal by Plexus . 100 79 

Speed Screen by Software Bottling . 35 32 

System Builder by Royal American . 100 CALL 

IMP EX Query Utility . 75 CALL 

Report Builder. 75 CALL 

TDebugPLUS by TurboPower Software . 60 49 

Turbo EXTENDER by TurboPower Software . 85 64 

Turbo Professional by Sunny Hill . 70 45 

TurboHALO from IMSI . 129 98 

TurboPower Utilities by TurboPower . 95 78 

TurboRef by Gracon Services . 50 45 

TURBOsmith Visual Age Debugger. ... See First Page 69 59 

Universal Graphics Library by Quinn-Curtis . . . New 150 119 


wendin products 

Operating System Toolbox. Rebate Offer 99 75 

PC NX Operating system . Rebate Offer 99 75 

PCVMS Similar to VAXVMS . Rebate Offer 99 75 

XTC Text Editor w / Pascal source . Rebate Offer 99 75 


xenix/unix products 

Btrieve ISAM File Mgr by SoftCraft . 595 454 

C-terp by Gimpel, Specify compiler . 498 379 

c-tree ISAM Mgr by FairCom . Sale 395 269 

dbVISTA See Raima Section . 

dBx with Library Source by Desktop At . 550 489 

DOSIX Console Version by Data Basics . 399 CALL 

DOSIX User Version by Data Basics . 199 CALL 

Informix All Varieties by Informix . CALL CALL 

Lyrix by Informix . 595 449 

Micro Focus Level II Compact COBOL. 1000 CALL 

Forms-2 . 400 CALL 

Level II ANIMATOR. 600 CALL 

Microport Products See Microport Section . 

Microsoft Products See Microsoft Section . 

PANEL Plus by Roundhill Computer Systems. ... New CALL CALL 

REAL-TOOLS Binary Version by PCT . 149 89 

Library Source Version . 399 289 

Complete Source Version . 499 369 

RM/COBOL by Ryan-McFarland . 1250 CALL 

RM/FORTRAN by Ryan-McFarland . 750 CALL 

SCO Products See SCO Section . 


LOWEST PRICES 

Due to printing lead times, some of our current 
prices may differ from those shown here. Call for 
latest pricing. 

FREE SHIPPING 

Orders within the USA (including Alaska & Hawaii) 
are shipped FREE via UPS. Express shipping is 
available at the shipping carrier's standard rate 
with no rush fees or handling charges. To avoid 
delays when ordering by mail, please call first to 
determine the exact cost of express shipping. 

CREDIT CARDS 

VISA and MasterCard are accepted at no extra 
cost. Your card is charged when your order is 
shipped. Mail orders please include credit card 
expiration date and telephone number. 

CODs AND POs 

CODs and Purchase Orders are accepted at no 
extra cost. POs with net 30-day terms are available 
to qualified US accounts only. 

FOREIGN ORDERS 

Shipping charges for foreign and Canadian orders 
are based on the shipping carrier's standard rate. 
Since rates vary between carriers, please call or 
write for the exact cost. Foreign orders (except 
Canada), please include an additional $10 for 
customs form preparation. All payments must be 
made with US funds drawn on a US bank. Please 
include your telephone number when ordering by 
mail. Due to government regulations, we cannot 
ship to all countries. 

VOLUME ORDERS 

Volume orders may qualify for additional discounts. 

Call us for special pricing. 

SOUND ADVICE 

Our knowledgeable technical staff can answer 
technical questions, assist in comparing products 
and send you detailed product information tailored 
to your needs. 

30-DAY GUARANTEE 

Most of our products (excluding books) come with 
a 30-day documentation evaluation period or a 
30-day return guarantee. Please note that some 
manufacturers restrict us from offering guarantees 
on their products. Call for more information. 

MAIL ORDERS 

Please include your telephone number on all mail 
orders. Be sure to specify computer, operating 
system and any applicable compiler or hardware 
interface(s). Send mail orders to: 

Programmer's Connection 
136 Sunnyside Street 
Hartville, OH 44632 

CIRCLE NO. 175 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

CALL TOLL FREE 

US. 800-336-1166 

CANADA. 800-225-1166 

OHIO & ALASKA 

(Call Collect). 216-877-3781 

TELEX .9102406879 

FOREIGN. 216-877-3781 

CUSTOMER SERVICE. 216-877-1110 

Hours: Weekdays 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM EST. 

Ohio customers add 6% state sales tax. 

Prices are subject to change without notice. 

Copyright Programmer's Connection, Inc., 1987. 


| proc| rammer»s connect ion | 

























































































































































































St^TgM Drut 

0CVf LOPMttn 


0RuV ?8y 


Now you can build and 
deliver serious expert 
systems on advanced PCs, 


GoldWorks changes 
the economics of expert 
system building. 

GoldWorks, formerly code-named 
Acorn, is designed for professional 
software developers who need to 
build serious expert systems and inte¬ 
grate them with conventional applica¬ 
tions running on 286- and 386-based 
PCs. It combines the best features of 
high-end expert system tools with 
the ability to develop and deliver 
expert systems inexpensively, on 
advanced PCs. 



GoldWorks is the most comprehensive expert system tool 
available for advanced PCs. 

Works like a shell. 

GoldWorks gives you the best 
features of an expert system shell. 
With the easy-to-use menu interface, 
you can rapidly prototype and build 
expert system applications without 
knowing the underlying program¬ 
ming environment. And you get the 
GoldWorks tutorial, the San Marco 
LISP Explorer® tutorial, an on-line 
help system, and example applica¬ 
tions to get you started quickly. 

Works like a toolkit. 

GoldWorks gives you the best 
features of an expert system toolkit. 
You can access the underlying pro¬ 


gramming environment to extend 
and customize the system for your 
specific applications. And you can 
address up to 15 MB of extended 
memory on the PC AT (and even 
more on 386-based PCs). 

Works like expert system 
tools previously available 
only on high-end work¬ 
stations ... at a fraction 
of the cost. 

GoldWorks sets a new standard for 
expert system development and deliv¬ 
ery on advanced PCs. You get frames 
with multiple inheritance for flexible 
knowledge representation. Rules 
supporting integrated forward and 
backward chaining for powerful 
inferencing. Object programming 
for developing modular applications. 
Plus advanced features for controlling 
the inferencing process, including 
rule sets, sponsors, rule priorities, 
certainty factors, and extensive rule 
inspecting and debugging facilities. 

All on conventional hardware— 
the PC you already use. 

Works to develop and 
deliver your expert systems. 

GoldWorks is the only tool that 
lets you develop and deliver serious 
expert systems on PC ATs. And 
GoldWorks also takes advantage of 
PCs based on Intel’s powerful 80386 
processor, including the COMPAQ 
DESKPRO 386 and Gold Hill’s 
386 LISP System. 


Works to integrate expert 
systems with conventional 
PC applications. 

With GoldWorks, you can integrate 
expert system applications with 
dBASE III and Lotus 1-2-3 •.. integrate 
C routines and libraries into your 
expert systems... and build and de¬ 
liver expert systems in network 
environments. 

Works the way you want 
an expert system builder 
to work. 

GoldWorks from Gold Hill sets the 
standard by which all other expert 
system tools will be measured. It was 
extensively field-tested by developers 
in dozens of major corporations. And 
GoldWorks is backed by Gold Hill’s 
comprehensive customer support, 
training and consulting programs. 

Now you have the expert system 
builder that works the way you want 
to work— GoldWorks. To see how it 
works, order our unique Demonstra¬ 
tion Kit, including full color video and 
complete User’s Guide. It’s only $49 
postpaid, refundable with your 
GoldWorks purchase. To order, call 
toll-free: 

1 - 800 - 242 - 5477 . 

In Mass., call (617) 492-2071. 

GoldWorks from Gold Hill. 
The expert in AI on PCs. 

Gold Hill Computers, Inc. 

163 Harvard Street 
Cambridge, MA 02139 



GOLDHILL 


© Copyright 1987. Gold Hill Computers, Inc. Gold Hill, GoldWorks, GCLISP, and 386 LISP System are trademarks of Gold Hill Computers, Inc. San Marco LISP Explorer is a registered 
trademark of San Marco Associates. Lotus is a registered trademark and 1-2-3 is a trademark of Lotus Development Corporation. dBASE is a trademark of AshtonTate. IBM and IBM PC-AT 
are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Intel is a registered trademark and 80286 and 80386 are trademarks of Intel Corporation. COMPAQ and 
DESKPRO 386 are trademarks of COMPAQ Computer Corporation. 























By teaming zero-wait-state memory and a 10-MHz 
80286processor, AST Research has produced an 
AT compatible that outshines most of its rivals. 


STEVEN ARMBRUST and TED FORGERON 




|p$ 


A ST Research, a company that man¬ 
ufactures almost every kind of PC 
L add-in card imaginable, appar¬ 
ently saw an advantage to selling its 
own computer to house all those cards. 
The result is the Premium/286, an AT 
compatible with a 10-MHz 80286 pro¬ 
cessor and zero-wait-state memory (see 
photo 1). Although positioned primarily 
as a desktop publishing machine with 
an available laser printer and scanner, 
the Premium/286 is a general-purpose 
computer with performance figures that 
nearly elevate it into the new class of 
80386-based machines. 

While the Premium/286’s system 
board contains many custom chips that 


would allow it to use one of the small- 
sized system units that are popular 
these days, the chassis is a full-sized 
unit that measures 19 by 16^ by 
inches. Like the IBM PC/AT, this large 
footprint allows room for two storage 
bays for holding peripheral devices. 

Several practical features make the 
Premium/286 a joy to work with. For 
example, the operating panel, conve¬ 
niently located on the left-front panel of 
the system unit, contains the lights indi¬ 
cating power-on and processor speed, a 
reset button, and the keylock switch, 
which is used to lock the keyboard 
electronically, rather than to lock the 
cover in place (see photo 2). 


Three processor speed settings (10, 
8, and 6 MHz) are available. The lights 
on the front panel plainly indicate the 
current speed at all times. Pressing 
Ctrl-Alt-uparrow switches to the next 
higher speed, and Ctrl-Alt-down-arrow 
switches to the next lower speed. 

Normally the system starts in 10- 
MHz mode, but the SETUP program (in¬ 
voked via AST’s ASTUTE utility) can 
change the default speed so that certain j 
programs, such as games and other 
copy-protected software, can be invoked 
at system start-up at lower speeds. 

The Premium/286’s reset button is 
an idea that should be incorporated 
into more computers. It performs the 






is 


: - 




mf 






OUT FROM THE SHADOW OF IBM: 













MMmin 


























PREMIUM/286 




PHOTO 3: Ke)<board Comparison 


PHOTO 2: Operating Panel 


PHOTO 4: Inside the System Unit 



Photo 1: The Premium/286 has attractive styling in a case 
similar in size to an IBM AT. It measures 19 by 16 ^ by 6^2 
inches; the AT’s dimensions are 21^by I6M2 by 6^4 inches. 

Photo 2: The reset button performs the same function as 
turning the machine off and on again. One of the three pro¬ 
cessor speed indicators is lit to note the current CPU speed. 

Photo 3: The enhanced keyboard of the Premium/286 (bot¬ 
tom) matches the IBM enhanced keyboard, but like most 
compatibles, it does not have the distinctive IBM feel. 

Photo 4: Slots 5 and 6 are designated the FASTslots. They 
are equipped with an extra connector at the front of the sys¬ 
tem board to accommodate the FASTRAM cards. 

Photo 5: An AST FASTRAM card includes an extra edge con¬ 
nector to enable the RAM to be accessed directly from the 
80286 processor’s local memory bus, with zero wait states. 




PHOTO 5: FASTRAM Board 


76 


PC TECH JOURNAL 



























































same function as turning off the com¬ 
puter and turning it back on, but with¬ 
out inflicting the system or the hard 
disk with the trauma of suddenly losing 
and regaining power. 

As another helpful touch, AST pro¬ 
vides preprinted adhesive labels to 
identify the board in each slot. This per¬ 
mits clear labeling of serial and parallel 
ports as COM1 or LPT1, for example. 

The machine tested in this article 
contained 1MB of AST’s fastram zero- 
wait-state memory, a 44MB hard disk, a 
1.2MB diskette drive, the AST-3G graph¬ 
ics card (an EGA-compatible card with 
256KB of memory that emulates the 
Hercules Graphics Card), and a 13-inch 
monochrome monitor. A Mouse Sys¬ 
tems serial mouse was included. 

The AST monochrome monitor is 
easy to read, although its foreground 
color is white, rather than the green or 
amber found in most monochrome 
monitors. Its contrast, brightness, and 
on/off knobs are all placed on the front 
of the display where they can be ac¬ 
cessed easily. The AST-3G graphics card, 
which provides EGA-quality graphics ca¬ 
pabilities, worked with all of the tested 
software. (This board was reviewed in 
“The EGA Spectrum, Part 1,” John T. 
Cockerham, October 1986, p. 80.) 

The keyboard is a 101-key model 
patterned after IBM’s enhanced key¬ 
board. Photo 3 compares the two key¬ 
boards. Like almost all keyboards ex¬ 
cept for the IBM models, the AST key¬ 
board has a mushy feel with very little 
tactile feedback. Audio feedback is ade¬ 
quate, but Ctrl-Alt- + (the plus sign on 
the numeric keypad) also can be used 
to set the volume level of the audible 
click that is generated by the system 
each time a key is pressed. 

The system board is equipped with 
a serial port and a parallel port as part 
of the standard configuration. The paral¬ 
lel port uses the standard IBM 25-pin 
female D-shell connector. However, in¬ 
stead of using a 9-pin serial connector 
like the one found in the AT, the Pre¬ 
mium/286 uses a 25-pin male connector 
like those in most PCs and XTs. 

Jumpers on the system board can 
switch the serial port between COM1 
and COM2 or disable the port, and they 
can switch the parallel port between 
LPT1 and LPT2 or disable the port. The 
parallel and serial ports are located at 
the rear of the system board, just to the 
left of the keyboard connector, as 
shown in photo 4. The port connectors 
extend out of the rear panel. 

The power supply is rated at 200 
watts and appears to be compatible 
with the AT power supply. The on/off 


switch is on the right side of the power 
unit. The fan provides amazingly good 
air flow, but it makes this power supply 
one of the noisiest units to be found. 

FAST SLOTS FOR FAST CARDS 

The Premium/286 has seven expansion 
slots: one 8-bit slot and six 16-bit slots. 
Three of the Premium/286’s slots are 
usually occupied, leaving four available 
for user options. The 8-bit slot (slot 1) 
contains the video adapter; slot 7 
houses the combination diskette/hard¬ 
disk controller; and a zero-wait-state 
fastram card is installed in slot 6 (there 
must be at least one, because the sys¬ 
tem board contains no RAM). 

The AST computer is able to access 
memory at zero wait states because it 
provides two special slots (5 and 6) in 
order to accommodate the AST fastram 
cards (see photo 5). The two 16-bit 
FASTslots are about the same size as the 
PC’s 8-bit connectors, but unlike the 
other slots, they are equipped with an 
extra connector located at the front of 
the system board. The fastram cards are 
designed to plug into these slots using 
the FASTslot connector. When this con¬ 
nection is made, the FASTslot connector 
takes precedence over the expansion 
bus and, therefore, enables the Premi¬ 
um/286 to access memory at zero wait 
states, even when the 80286 is running 
at 10 MHz. 


In essence, the FASTslot connector 
is simply an extension of the 80286’s 
local memory bus. In the case of the 
Premium/286, it is the local memory 
bus, because the system board contains 
no memory. By connecting the 80286 
directly to the memory, the memory ac¬ 
cesses do not require extra time for the 
signals to pass through a bus controller 
chip and out onto the expansion bus. 
Therefore, the 80286 can access mem¬ 
ory on the fastram cards in two 10-MHz 
CPU cycles, or zero wait states. 

The signals used by the FASTslots 
are diagrammed in figure 1. The 
fastram cards contain the decode and 
control logic to transform CPU signals 
into the signals necessary to access the 
memory on the card. Additional signals 
enable cards plugged into ordinary AT 
slots to access fastram memory, for ex¬ 
ample, via direct memory access (DMA). 
To maintain compatibility, DMA occurs 
at the speed of the AT bus, rather than 
at the full 10-MHz zero-wait-state speed. 

The FASTslots also contain Request, 
Grant, and Release lines. These are in¬ 
cluded so that coprocessor cards also 
can be plugged into the bus. AST has 
not yet developed any such cards. 

In the minimum configuration, the 
Premium/286 comes with one fastram 
card containing 512KB of RAM. An addi¬ 
tional 1.5MB can be added in 512KB in¬ 
crements, so with its two FASTslots the 


PREMIUM/286 VITAL STATISTICS 


Model 80: *1,995 
512KB memory 
Parallel printer interface 
Serial interface 

Combination diskette/hard-disk 
controller 

1.2MB diskette drive 
Realtime clock 

(does not include monitor or video 
adapter) 

Model 90: $2,495 
All features of the first model plus: 
1MB memory (instead of 512KB) 
AST-3G video adapter 

Model 120: $2,995 
All features of the previous model 
except with a 20MB hard disk. 

Model 140: $3,495 
All features of the previous model 
except with a 40MB hard disk. 

Model 170: $3,995 
All the features of the previous model 
except with a 70MB hard disk. 


Memory capacity on system board 
None. Memory is supplied via the 
FASTslot memory boards. 

Display adapters 
AST-3G4- (EGA and Hercules 
compatible) is available. 

Monitors 

Premium/Monochrome Display: $195 
Premium/Enhanced Color: $695 

Expansion slots 

FASTslots : 2 (with 1 6-bit connectors) 
16-bit: 4 
8-bit: 1 

Available slots 

FASTSlotS: 1 
16-bit: 3 
8-bit: 0 

Other extras available 
40MB tape backup: $750 
360KB diskette drive: $155 
FASTslot memory cards: 512KB, $695; 
1MB, $895; 2MB, $1,495 


JUNE 1987 


77 




expandability, systems connectivity, and IBM compatibility. While 
they've become the standard for 3270 subsystem intelligence, that's 
just the beginning of where they can grow. Because now they're 
expandable into airline, S/3X, and PBX environments. 

Whatever information worlds you are merging, let Telex 
Intelligent Workstations connect you to the future, today. For 
more information on Telex products and worldwide service and 
support call Telex. USA: 1-800-331-2623, Ext. 3284 (Oklahoma, 
1-918-628-3284). INTERNATIONAL: 1-617-769-8000. CANADA: 
1-800-268-3233. EUROPE: 41-38-22-6101. 

The #1 

3270 Alternative. 

TELEX, 

TELEX COMPUTER PRODUCTS, INC. 

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. 

Telex is a registered trademark of The Telex Corporation. 


CIRCLE NO. 212 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


















PREMIUM/286 



By extending the processor’s local memory bus, the FASTslots eliminate the overhead induced by the bus controller. 


Premium/286 can contain as much as 
4MB of zero-wait-state memory. The 
fastram card requires 256KB RAM chips 
with an access time of 100 nanosec¬ 
onds. Currently, AST has qualified only 
Fujitsu MB81256 and Micron MT1259-10 
chips for use in the fastram cards. 

The FASTslots are not limited to ac¬ 
cepting only the fastram cards. When 
ordinary 16-bit memory cards are 
plugged into these special slots, then 
the 80286 accesses the memory via the 
expansion bus at the same speed as the 
AT. The wait states that are associated 
with different processor speeds and slot 
types are as follows: 

SLOT TYPE 6 MHz 8 MHz 10 MHz 
8-bit 1 1 2 

16-bit 1 1 2 

FASTSlot 0 0 0 

The fastram cards can be set up for 
three different kinds of memory. The 
first 640KB of the first card is devoted 
to conventional memory. The remain¬ 
der of fastram memory can be set up as 
extended memory (with addresses start¬ 
ing at 1MB) or expanded memory, ad¬ 


hering to the AST/Quadram/Ashton-Tate 
Enhanced Expanded Memory Specifica¬ 
tion (AQA EEMS), which is a superset of 
the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded 
Memory Specification (LIM EMS). 

When the Premium/286 is used to 
run DOS, AST recommends that all 
fastram above 640KB be set up as ex¬ 
panded memory. This allows AST’s ex¬ 
panded memory manager (REMM.SYS) 
to make the memory available to appli¬ 
cations that can access expanded mem¬ 
ory directly, and it lets AST’s utilities 
FASTDISK and SUPERSPL use the mem¬ 
ory for RAM disks and print spoolers. 

AST also provides a memory man¬ 
ager called REX.SYS that can be used in 
addition to REMM.SYS; it lets expanded 
memory emulate extended memory. 
When installed, REX.SYS intercepts the 
BIOS calls that perform extended mem¬ 
ory functions and substitutes equivalent 
operations using expanded memory. 
Users can set up any combination of ex¬ 
tended and expanded memory utilities 
without opening up the system unit and 
physically reconfiguring the memory. 

On the other hand, the fastram cards 


have switches to set up extended mem¬ 
ory directly, so that other operating sys¬ 
tems, such as XENIX, can use the mem¬ 
ory as extended memory. 

Another bonus feature of the Pre¬ 
mium/286 is its enhanced BIOS inter¬ 
rupt handling that is present in the 
Phoenix Technologies, Ltd.’s BIOS sup¬ 
plied in the machine. Phoenix offers 
two interrupt-handling configurations. 

In the standard configuration, when an 
interrupt occurs and no interrupt han¬ 
dler is set up for the specified interrupt 
level, an IRET instruction is executed 
and processing continues. With en¬ 
hanced interrupt handling, such inter¬ 
rupts cause the following message to 
appear on the screen: 

Unexpected SW interrupt <num> at 
<address>. 

Type (R)eboot, other keys to continue 

Similar messages are displayed for 
hardware and nonmaskable interrupts. 

Most computers include the Phoe¬ 
nix BIOS without the enhanced inter¬ 
rupt handling feature, because that con¬ 
figuration is most like IBM’s. However, 


JUNE 1987 


79 
































































CIRCLE NO. 118 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Case History #47582 


“With over a million lines of source 
code, MortgageFlex is probably the 
largest application ever written for 
a IAN,” says Lester Dominick, the 
developer of this monster program for 
mortgage banking back office man¬ 
agement. “We probably encountered 
just about every programming chal¬ 
lenge imaginable, but DataFlex’s pow¬ 
erful 4th generation programming 
language proved more than a match 
for every situation.” 


before them have done. DataFlex 
macro commands also take much of 
the burden off the programmers by 
automatically taking care of the 
tedius chores of index manipulation, 
screen handling, cursor positioning 
and file management. We also like the 
way DataFlex uses indexes because it 
really lets the program take advan¬ 
tage of the capabilities of the system 
and run extremely fast.” 


A Straightforward English-like 
Syntax 

“MortgageFlex is very easy to main¬ 
tain and, because of DataFlex’s 
English-like structure, new program¬ 
mers with minimum training find it 
easy to figure out what programmers 


Multi-user Capabilities for 
Today and Tomorrow 

“We chose DataFlex 4V6 years ago 
because of its outstanding multi¬ 
user capabilities and are very 
pleased with the way in which 
DataFlex has been continually 
adapted to new hardware and made 
even better as technology has 
improved. Not only do DataFlex 


programs run on more multi-user 
and LAN systems than any other 
DBMS product, but do so with 
absolutely no changes in the source 
code from system to system! I don’t 
have to tell you what that means to 
a developer with a million and a 
quarter lines of programming.” 

Take the first step to more efficient 
program development today. Return 
the coupon below for your free 
DataFlex Demonstration Diskettes. 


“100 data files, 4,500 
fields and 1.2 million 
lines of source code. 
Just try that with any¬ 
thing but DataFlex!” 


MortgageFlex Systems, Inc., Irvine, CA. 


FREE SELF-RUNNING DATAFLEX DEMO 
(PC-DOS/MS-DOS ONLY) 

Find out more about DataFlex’s ease of use and programming power. Mail 
this coupon today for your free self-running demonstration diskettes. 


Name 


Company 
Address- 
City- 


State 


Phone ( 


Data Access Corporation 
14000 S.W. 119 Avenue 
Miami, Florida 33186 
(305) 238-0012 

TELEX: 469021 Data Access Cl 
FAX: (305) 238-0017 


How many computer systems are in use at your company? 
Do you use a Local Area Network or Multi-User computer? 
Does your computer have a hard disk? _ 


Data Access Corporation, 14000 S.W. 119 Avenue, Miami, Florida 33186 


PCTJ6 
















PREMIUM/286 


the enhanced interrupt handling sup¬ 
port in the Premium/286 gives program¬ 
mers important extra information to 
simplify debugging runaway programs. 

EASE OF INSTALLATION 

Installation is a fairly simple process 
with the Premium/286. The cover of the 
system unit is fastened with five screws 
on the rear panel. The screws, which 
can be removed with a flat-blade screw¬ 
driver or one-quarter-inch nut driver, 
are accessible and easy to recognize. 
However, the screws in the tested unit 
did not seem to fit properly and were 
cross-threaded, as if they had been 
forced. This prevented the cover from 
being secured tightly. Also, the screws 
were a different type than the ones 
used to fasten the slot covers (which 
were Phillips-head screws), so at least 
two screwdrivers are required to work 
inside the system unit. 

Installing diskette drives into the 
Premium/286 is very easy, while hard 
disks involve a little more effort. The 
left drive bay, which has no external 
access, is reserved for hard disks. The 
Premium/286’s 44MB full-height Micro- 
polis hard disk filled the left bay on the 
tested unit. To install their own hard 
drives, users must remove the screws 
that fasten the drive bay enclosure to 
the front panel, lift out the enclosure, 
screw the drive into it, and then replace 
and refasten the enclosure. This proce¬ 
dure requires considerable dexterity. 

The AST documentation does not 
mention the drive types that are sup¬ 
ported by the Premium/286. However, 
the SETUP program lists the characteris¬ 
tics of the 35 drive types that are sup¬ 
ported by version 3.02 of the Phoenix 
BIOS. Drive types 1 through 15 match 
the IBM drive types. 

The drive bay on the right side has 
room for three half-height drives (or 
one half-height and one full-height 
drive). The 1.2MB drive was mounted 
as the topmost drive in the enclosure in 
the evaluation unit. The drives can be 
screwed direcdy to the enclosure with¬ 
out requiring additional slide rails or 
mounting hardware. 

The Premium/286 provides two 
unused power connectors for installing 
additional drives. Adding a second 
diskette drive requires only the drive it¬ 
self, because the cable is already pres¬ 
ent in the system unit. However, only 
one of the cables necessary for adding a 
second hard disk is included; the 30-pin 
controller cable has connectors for two 
hard disks. The other necessary cable, a 
20-pin data cable, is not provided, al¬ 
though the disk controller has a con¬ 


nection for one. AST includes no docu¬ 
mentation for adding drives or for set¬ 
ting options on the controller board to 
support additional drives. 

Except for the fastram cards, insert¬ 
ing and removing expansion cards is 
easy. The fastram cards, because of the 
extra connector on their front-panel 
side, are more difficult to install. 

Other areas of the system are quite 
accessible. The 80286 and 80287 sockets 
are at the left front of the system board 
and can be reached without removing 
the power supply or disk drives. The 
80287 socket can be a little hard to rec¬ 
ognize, because if the unit is configured 
without the 80287, a header that re¬ 
duces radio frequency interference is 
plugged into the socket. The switch that 
selects the primary video adapter also is 
conveniently located on top Of the dis¬ 
play panel (near the processor speed 
lights, reset button, and keylock switch) 
inside the system unit. 

STANDARD SOFTWARE 

As is the case with many of the IBM- 
compatible computers, MS-DOS 3.1 and 
GW-BASIC 3.1 are included with the 
Premium/286. In addition, AST includes 
Utility Software and Diagnostics dis¬ 
kettes with the system. The Utility Soft¬ 
ware diskette contains REMM.SYS (the 

T he FASTDISK program is a 
flexible driver that combines 
conventional, expanded, 
and extended memory into 
a single RAM disk 


expanded memory manager), REX.SYS 
(the extended memory emulator), 
FASTDISK.SYS (a RAM-disk driver), 
SUPERSPL.COM (a print spooler), and 
an installation utility to set up the sys¬ 
tem with these programs and drivers. 
The FASTDISK program is an especially 
flexible driver that combines conven¬ 
tional, expanded, and extended mem¬ 
ory into a single RAM disk. 

The Diagnostics diskette contains 
the set-up and diagnostics programs. 
DIAG.EXE tests the AST-3G display 
adapter; EMUL.COM allows the adapter 
to emulate a Hercules Graphics Card; 
and PREVIEW.COM sets the number of 
graphics pages to be used in the Her¬ 
cules mode. Other files on the Diag¬ 
nostics diskette include SETUP.COM 


(which stores system set-up informa¬ 
tion into battery-maintained memory), 
HDFORMAT.EXE (which performs a 
low-level format of the hard disk), and 
ASTUTE (AST’s diagnostic test execu¬ 
tive). HDFORMAT.EXE and ASTUTE are 
advanced utilities that are not normally 
included as standard software with per¬ 
sonal computers. 

From ASTUTE, users can run the 
set-up program, do a low-level format 
of the hard disk, and park the disk 
heads. In addition, ASTUTE automati¬ 
cally senses the type of hardware in the 
system and displays the results on the 
screen. Included in this information is 
the hard-disk drive type, amount and 
type of memory, number and types of 
serial and parallel ports, display mode, 
and keyboard type. 

The ASTUTE diagnostics consist of 
a comprehensive set of programs that 
allows users to explore the dark cor¬ 
ners of their systems for possible 
errors. However, version 1.02 of the di¬ 
agnostics, which was distributed with 
the tested unit, seems to have problems 
of its own, reporting errors that do not 
really exist. For example, when run on 
the tested unit, ASTUTE reported the 
following problems: 

Bad Memory Board Probable Cause Of 
Failure 

00:00:19 Map Control Register Failure 

Replace System Board 

01:08:09 -► Processor Speed Failure 

Serial Port is Defective 

03:06:01 -» Defective Adapter Logic 

Despite these error messages, the 
unit itself seemed healthy; no problems 
ever surfaced when testing with applica¬ 
tions software or add-in hardware. For 
example, the “Map Control Register 
Failure” message occurred only when 
the Intel Above Board was in the system 
and might have been caused by the 
program assuming that Above Board is 
an EEMS device, which it is not. 

Part of the problem is that no doc¬ 
umentation is supplied with ASTUTE. 
The manuals provide no information 
about individual tests, nor do they men¬ 
tion loopback connectors or other de¬ 
vices that might be required to make 
the tests run correctly. When AST was 
contacted, it admitted that early versions 
of ASTUTE have bugs. It sent the latest 
version (1.1B), which corrects many of 
the problems. This version does not re¬ 
port processor speed failures, and it 
documents on the screen that some of 
the serial port tests require loopback 
connectors to run correctly. However, 
even with this new version, the test still 
reports a “Map Control Register Fail- 


JUNE 1987 


81 



NO NUUIR WHAT LANGUAGE OR DATA 
BASE PRODUCT YOU ARE USING — 

If IT ISN’T CLARION, YOUR APPLICATIONS 
ARE TAKING TOO MUCH TIME TO WRITE. 


CLARION: 




TRADITIONAL APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT TIME 


CLARION TIME 


THE CLARION ADVANTAGE 


saves development time 
increases programmer productivity 
lowers development costs 
yields better, richer 
applications 
for single users or 
a network of users 




G-LARKxf 


■ POWERFUL MODERN LANGUAGE 

• ADVANCED DATA BASE MANAGEMENT 

■ SCREEN and REPORT GENERATORS 

■ FAST COMPILE and TEST 

■ INTEGRATED FAMILY of UTILITIES 


IF... your commercial microcomputer applications are 
written in Assembler, BASIC, C, COBOL, Pascal or 
any of the data base languages... 

AND • •• you have simply run out of time... 
or programmers... or money... 

THEN • •• you owe it to yourself and to those who depend on your 
professional skills — to make the easy move to CLARION... 

ELSE • •• you'll miss out on the CLARION advantage. 


CLARION is priced at $395 plus shipping. It runs on 
any IBM PC, XT, AT or true compatible with 320KB of 
memory and a hard disk drive. 


3 


CLARION* 

from BARRINGTON SYSTEMS, INC. 


To order CLARION or to get our 
I free 16-page brochure and the I 
■ Sample Program diskette, simply ■ 
1 call TOLL FREE... 1 


I 


I 


I -800/354-5444 


150 EAST SAMPLE ROAD POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA 33064-3597 305/785-4555 


CLARION is a registered trademark of Barrington Systems, Inc. 


Copyright 1986 Barrington Systems 


CIRCLE NO. 105 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



























PREMIUM/286 

ure” when the Intel Above Board is in¬ 
stalled in the system. 

IIP TO THE TESTS 

As with every other computer tested in 
this series, the Premium/286 underwent 
a full range of tests. First, a series of 
commonly used software and hardware 
products were installed to check com¬ 
patibility. Then the PC Tech Journal 
compatibility and performance metrics 
were run and the results were com¬ 
pared with the 8-MHz IBM AT. (For 
details on these metrics, refer to the 
article “Out from the Shadow of IBM...,” 
Steven Armbrust, Ted Foigeron, and 
Paul Pierce, August 1986, p. 53 and “Up¬ 
dating the Evaluation Suite,” Ted Foige¬ 
ron, Paul Pierce, and Steven Armbrust, 
March 1987, p. 71.) 

The hardware products tested with 
the Premium/286 were an 80287 nu¬ 
meric coprocessor, an Intel Above 
Board with 4MB of memory, Microsoft 
serial and bus mice, a Hayes Smart- 
modem 1200B, an IBM Color Graphics 
Adapter, and IBM Personal Computer 
Color Display. The AST-3G card and the 
Mouse Systems serial mouse provided 
with the system were also tested. 

In general, all of the products 
tested worked in the Premium/286. 
However, when both the AST fastram 
and the Intel Above Board were config¬ 
ured for expanded memory, neither ex¬ 
panded memory manager (EMM) could 
recognize the other company’s memory 
card when configured for expanded 
memory. Only one EMM can be active 
in any computer at one time. However, 
the Intel EMM was much more graceful 
about the situation. Intel’s EMM.SYS 
recognized the memory on the Intel 
board and simply ignored the fastram 
expanded memory. On the other hand, 
AST’s REMM.SYS tried to set up the 
Above Board memory as EEMS memory 
and caused the entire system to crash, 
requiring a power down to correct the 
problem. This conflict should seldom 
cause a problem, however, because 
most Premium/286 users will want to 
use the zero-wait-state fastram memory 
whenever possible. 

The software products tested in¬ 
cluded Microsoft Windows 1.03 and 
Word 3.1 to test graphics capabilities 
and the mice. Borland’s SuperKey 1.15, 
SideKick 1.56A, and Turbo Lightning 
1.101A tested memory-resident pro¬ 
grams. Living Videotext’s Ready! 1.00C, 
Intel’s QUKMEM2 RAM disk, and AST’s 
FASTDISK RAM disk were used to test 
expanded memory. IBM’s VDISK 
checked the computer’s ability to switch 
in and out of protected mode. FastBack, 


from Fifth Generation Systems Inc., was 
used to test direct memory access. 
Finally, the IBM SETUP program and 
Advanced Diagnostics were used to give 
the computer a general checkup. 

All of these programs worked with¬ 
out error. In addition, the Premium/286 
passed all of the IBM Advanced Diag¬ 
nostics tests, which few computers are 
able to do. Even FastBack, which some¬ 
times requires the computer to be set 
to a slower speed, worked at the 10- 
MHz speed on the Premium/286. 

The expanded memory programs 
(Ready! and QUIKMEM2) were tested by 
running them out of the EEMS memory 
on the fastram card, and both ran with¬ 
out problems. After disabling the 
fastram’s expanded memory, the pro¬ 
grams also ran well using expanded 
memory in the Intel Above Board. 

The PC Tech Journal compatibility 
and performance tests used for this 
series on compatibles consist of five 
programs: ATBIOS checks the BIOS and 
BIOS data areas; ATKEY checks for key¬ 
board compatibility; ATPERF measures 
CPU and numeric coprocessor clock 

X he Premium/286passed 
all of the tests on the IBM 



diskette, which few com¬ 
puters are able to do. 


rates, as well as memory access times; 
ATFLOAT measures floating-point opera¬ 
tions with the numeric coprocessor; 
ATDISK measures hard-disk perfor¬ 
mance. Table 1 compares the results of 
these tests with those of the 8-MHz AT. 

The ATBIOS program showed that 
the Premium/286 has a BIOS manufac¬ 
tured by Phoenix Technology Ltd. with 
a version number of 3.02. It uses the 
BIOS data area in the same way that the 
ATs BIOS uses the area. 

Keyboard compatibility was verified 
with ATKEY. When the original IBM AT 
keyboard was plugged into the AST ma¬ 
chine, it also worked without error. 

ATPERF revealed how the combina¬ 
tion of a 10-MHz CPU and zero-wait- 
state memory affects performance. The 
80286 was indeed measured at 10 MHz, 
and the 80287 numeric coprocessor ran 
at 8 MHz. Using the zero-wait-state 
memory on the fastram card, the RAM 
and EMM read and write times were 


almost 1.9 times faster than the same 
operations^on an 8-MHz AT. 

For these values to be truly appre¬ 
ciated, they must be compared to other 
high-performance computers. In fact, 
these values are better than those re¬ 
corded by the ALR Access 386 (which 
contains a 16-MHz 80386 and inter¬ 
leaved memory), better than the values 
recorded by the PC’s Limited 286 12 and 
Compaq Portable III (both of which 
contain 12-MHz 80286s and one-wait- 
state memory), and close to the values 
recorded by the Compaq Deskpro 386. 

This puts the Premium/286 in the 
upper echelon of 286-based AT-class 
machines when considering RAM access 
times. Of course, when measuring areas 
in which the Premium/286’s zero-wait- 
state memory does not have an effect, 
such as ROM reads and video writes, 
the machines with faster processors 
have better times. For a comparison of 
these compatibles, see “Poised for To¬ 
morrow” (Access 386), Michael Abrash 
and Dan Illowsky, April 1987, p. 104; 
“PC’s Limited 286 12 ,” Steven Armbrust 
and Ted Foigeron, February 1987, p. 94; 
“Portable in,” Jim Shields, May 1987, 
p. 76; and “The New Standard” (Desk- 
pro 386), Steven Armbrust and Ted For- 
geron, March 1987, p. 48. 

The ATFLOAT test showed that the 
Premium/286 can process floating-point 
operations 1.4 times as fast as an 8-MHz 
AT. With its 10-MHz CPU and 8-MHz nu¬ 
meric coprocessor, these values are 
consistent with expectations. 

ATDISK revealed good news about 
the hard-disk drive in the Premium/286. 
The 44MB Micropolis drive in the tested 
unit performed better all around than 
the AT’s hard disk. The average seek 
time (29.5 milliseconds) is comparable 
with that of the hard disk in the Desk- 
pro 386. The drive is formatted with an 
interleave of 2 and works well at that 
interleave, giving it a higher transfer 
rate than the ATs hard disk. 

MISSING DOCUMENTATION 

The documentation accompanying the 
Premium/286 consists of the User's Ref¬ 
erence (which corresponds to IBM’s 
Guide to Operations ), MS-DOS Refer¬ 
ence , GW-BASIC Reference, and Utilities 
Software manual (documenting the 
REMM and REX drivers, the FASTDISK 
RAM-disk program, and the SUPERSPL 
print spooler), as well as reference 
manuals for the AST-3G graphics card 
and Mouse Systems mouse. This set of 
documentation has a professional ap¬ 
pearance and uses figures and tables 
liberally. However, the MS-DOS manual 
is printed with light gray characters on 


JUNE 1987 


83 





that don’t use ournew 
VEGA Deluxe EGAcar 


Pretty soon, this 
might become standard 
computer equipment. 

Unless, of course, our VEGA Deluxe 

card does first. __^^^__ Illllllia 

And that’s a distinct possibility. After all, this short-card 
video adapter offers 37% higher screen resolution than standard EGA cards. 

Visualize it: your existing software sharper and clearer by more than a third. 
Programs like Lotus 1-2-3 and Symphony, with 132 columns and 43 lines. Microsoft 
Windows in 640 x 480, too. And AutoCAD. As well as EASYCAD, EGA Paint, GEM, 
Dr. Halo II, InA-Vision,Windows Draw, Windows Graph, and much more. 

In fact, with all this information on the screen, there’s only one thing there’s less of. 
Strain on your eyes. 

That’s because the VEGA Deluxe gives you both 640 x 480 and 752 x 410 reso¬ 
lution. (Of course, for more than 640 x 350, the VEGA Deluxe requires a Multisync* 

or equivalent.) 

The VEGA Deluxe is also compatible with every other 
video standard: EGA, CGA, Hercules and MDA. And when 
used with a compatible monitor, it automatically selects 
which mode is right for your software’s needs. 

At Video Seven, we’ve sold over 200,000 EGA cards 
to people who’ve seen the difference. If you’d like to see the 
difference for yourself, just call 1-800-238-0101 for the name of the Video Seven 
dealer nearest you. (In California, call 1-800-962-5700.) 

The VEGA Deluxe. It puts everything in proper focus. i li 

Video Seven Inc., 46335 Landing Parkway, azttvl; r\ //q T 7 A 7 i:xt 
Fremont, CA 94538. V LVZW/bhV HJN 


We make a dear difference. 


High resolution modes require TT L color monitors capable of 25 KHZ and 29.4 KH Z. Trademarks: VEGA Deluxe —Video Seven Inc., Hercules—Hercules Computer Technology, MultiSync— 
NEC Home Electronics (USA) Inc., EASYCAD—Evolution Computing, EGA Paint—Rix SoftWorks Inc., GEM—Digital Research Corp., Dr. Halo—Media Cybernetics, ln-A-Vision, 
Windows Draw, Windows Graph—Micrografx Inc.; Registered trademarks: Video Seven—Video Seven Inc., Lotus 1-2-3, Symphony—Lotus Development Corp., Microsoft—Microsoft Corp. 
Video Seven reserves the right to change specifications without notice. 


CIRCLE NO. 204 ON READER SERVICE CARD 





PREMIUM/286 


white paper, giving it a washed-out look 
that makes reading more than a page or 
two at a time difficult. 

In general, the AST manuals pro¬ 
vide the basic information that the aver¬ 
age user needs to run the Premium/286, 
but there are some deficiencies. The 
biggest of these is the lack of detailed 
technical information. No hardware or 
software technical reference manuals 
are available from AST. Furthermore, 
the AST diagnostics programs are not 
documented. This lack of technical ma¬ 
terial frequently is one of the items that 
separates the top-tier suppliers (such as 
IBM, Compaq, and Hewlett-Packard) 
from all the others. 

AST provides a one-year limited 
warranty for the Premium/286. The war¬ 
ranty covers parts and labor but is lim¬ 
ited to the original purchaser. During 
that time, users can return the machine 
to their dealers for repair or replace¬ 
ment. AST provides a technical-support 
telephone line to handle problems not 
covered in the documentation. 

AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMER 

The Premium/286 is one of the most 
pleasing 80286-based personal comput¬ 
ers in the marketplace. It is extremely 
compatible with the AT, having success¬ 
fully run every product tested on it. The 
well-designed unit is sturdy and offers 
convenient extras such as a reset but¬ 
ton, which software developers espe¬ 
cially will appreciate. Only the AST 
diagnostics programs showed any prob¬ 
lems with the machine, and none of the 
problems noted by the diagnostics sur¬ 
faced in any other part of the testing. 

What sets the Premium/286 apart 
from many other AT compatibles is per¬ 
formance. Its 80286 runs at only 10 
MHz, as compared to 12 MHz for some 
of its competitors. However, when 
teamed with zero-wait-state memory 
and a fast hard disk, the Premium/286 
outshines almost all of its rivals. It is 
proof that a well-designed 80286 ma¬ 
chine can offer performance rivaling 
an 80386 machine. 1SB 

AST Research 

2121 Alton Avenue 

Irvine , California 92714-4992 

714/863-1333 

Premium/286 

CIRCLE 352 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Steven Armbrust is a freelance technical 
writer, and Ted Forgeron works as a pro¬ 
gram manager for Intel Corporation. To¬ 
gether, they are the authors of the Program¬ 
mer’s Reference Manual for IBM Personal 
Computers (Dow-Jones Irwin, 1986). 


TABLE 1: Compatibility’ and Performance Tests 



8-MHz AT, 
30MB DISK* 

PREMIUM/286, 

44MB DISK (at 10 MHz) 

ATBIOS 



ROM BIOS date 

11/15/85 

10/23/86 

ATPERF 



Average RAM instruction fetch (ms) 



BYTE 

.250 

.20 (125)* 

WORD 

.403 

.21 (190) 

Average RAM read time (ms) 



BYTE 

.401 

.21 (187) 

WORD 

.401 

.21 (187) 

Average RAM write time (|xs) 



BYTE 

.401 

.21 (189) 

WORD 

.401 

.21 (189) 

Average ROM read time (|xs) 



BYTE 

.401 

•32 (125) 

WORD JHHHI 

.401 

•32 (125) 

Average CGA video write time (p,s) 



BYTE 

1.208 

1.21 (100) 

WORD 

2.415 

2.41 (100) 

Average EMM read time (fxs) 



BYTE 

.402 

.21 (188) c 

WORD 

.402 

.21 (188) c 

CPU clock rate (MHz) 

8.0 

10.0(125) 

Numeric coprocessor clock rate (MHz) 

3.3 

7.9 (149) 

Refresh overhead (96) 

7.1 

6.0 

RAM read wait states 

1 

0 

RAM write wait states 

1 

0 

ROM read wait states 

1 

1 

Video write wait states (CGA) 

8 

10 

EMM read wait states 

1 

0 C 

EMM write wait states 

1 

0‘ 

ATFLOAT 



Performance as percentage 

100 

104 

relative to AT 



ATDISK 



Sectors/track 

17 

17 

Heads 

5 

5 

Cylinders 

731 

1,022 

Total space (million bytes) 

31.81 

44.48 

Track-track seek time (ms) 

6.0 

4.9 

Average seek time (ms) 

37.1 

29.5 

Effective transfer rate (KB/sec) 

170.1 

255.0 

DOS file I/O (sec) 

7.3 

7.6 

Interleave 

3 

2 

a The figures for the IBM AT are the average results from several machines, whereas the results from 

the AST Premium/286 are taken only from the review sample model. 


b Figures shown in parentheses represent the relative performance expressed as a percentage compared 

to PC Tech Journal’s baseline machine, the 8-MHz, 30MB AT. 


C EMM measurements were taken using the Premium/286's FASTRAM memory configured as expanded 

memory using the REMM.SYS driver. 




The combination of 10-MHz CPU performance and the zero-wait-state memory pro¬ 
vided by FASTRAM cards results in RAM and EMM read and write times on the 
Premium/286 that are almost 1.9 times faster than they are on an 8-MHz AT. 


JUNE 1987 


85 















SPEED-UP YOUR PC GRAPHICS! 


With the GSS® Graphics Development Toolkit 
and your favorite language* you can write 
faster graphics applications in record time. 



Increase Your Application Performance 

GSS drivers are written directly to the hardware, so your 
applications run fast. And the latest display cards are supported, 
including high-performance boards from Video-7, Quadram, Emulex, 
and others. Low memory overhead also promotes faster performance. 
The GSS software typically requires only 75Kb at run-time. 

Reduce Your Time To Market 

GSS provides the graphics functions and 
device drivers, so you spend less time in 
development. Call over 100 high-level 
functions for lines, arcs, text, bitmaps, 
clipping, and more. Support numerous mice, 
displays, printers and plotters, including! 

EGA displays, HP plotters, Epson LQ printers 
and the HP LaserJet +. 


Build The Future Into 
Your Software 

Your applications will 
work with new graphics 
devices as new GSS 
drivers become avail¬ 
able. You won't have to 
modify your program! 

And when you use the 
Graphics Development 
Toolkit, your graphics 
software will be source 
code compatible with 
the new features of 
future DOS versions. 


'795 


•295 


Our complete GSS Line: 

List: PC Brand: 

CGI Dvlpmt Toolkit *495 *375 
Kernel System *495 *375 


Kernel for IBM RT 
Metafile Interpreter 


*645 

*235 


For an in-depth look at creating 
high-performance PC AT graphics, 
attend the nearest GSS Seminar: 

San Jose 

June 11 

Washington, D.C. 

June 18 

Los Angeles 

July 9 

Boston 

July 23 

San Jose 

Aug. 6 

New York City 

Aug. 20 

Orange County, CA 

Sep. 10 

Boston 

Sep. 24 

San Jose 

Oct. 8 

Atlanta 

Oct. 22 

Call PC BRAND to register now! 

Registration fee, $25. 



languages supported: 

Lattice C; Microsoft C; Lahey FORTRAN; Microsoft 
FORTRAN; R/M FORTRAN; IBM FORTRAN; IBM Professional 
FORTRAN; Microsoft Pascal; IBM Pascal; Microsoft BASIC 
Compiler; Microsoft Quick BASIC; IBM BASIC Compiler; 
Microsoft Macro Assembler; IBM Macro Assembler. 

Photos provided by CREARE, INTEGRATED 
* SYSTEMS, and OPTIM ELECTRONICS 


To Order Your GSS Software Today Call 

800 PC-BRAND 

That's (800) 722-7263. In NY State call (212) 242-3600 
PC Brand, 150 5th Ave., New York, N. Y. 10011-4311 
Ttelex: 667962 (SOFT COMM NYK) 


© 1987 PC BRAND 


Prices, terms, and specifications subject to change without notice. 






















PC BRAND; CAREFULLY CHOSEN 
PROGRAMMER TOOLS 


WINDOWS for C/WINDOWS for DATA 

Microsoft Windows ™ and TopView™ Compatible 

keystrikes, and attachment of field-speci¬ 
fic help messages and functions you 
want called to display messages or vali¬ 
date entries. And you decide which 
keys will clear a field, jump to the next 
or prior, quit, etc. Clear manual to boot. 
Specify Compiler: List: PC Brand: 

T0100 Windows for C $195 $149 
TO1500 Windows for Data $295 $259 


*gga8S£?l 

selves if product coa ^n,means 

T. or L through NJ geal some 

breaking T e i irrv ts. so for prod 
developersdop&etn* j. 

ducts be 9^SZddtiksconstitutesacr 

opening sealed O'* a( )east review 

ceptancaButyouc nQt(hjng s top- 

the manualJher^I pC Brand _ 


MICROSOFT C 4.0 " 

A Great C Battle Rages and You’re Winning 


BRIEF Is Anything But. 
A Whopper of an Editor 

W ith a name that belies its thorough¬ 
ness, Brief™ has every feature 
you’ve ever contemplated for your editor- 
in-chief. Text, from keyboard or files, is 
housed in multiple buffers, and scrolled 
through one or more windows you open, 
close, resize. A text buffer may be called to 
different windows to view two areas at 
once. A change in one changes both. Text 
blocks may be marked for printing, writing 
to files, movement to scrap buffers for cut 
and paste into other buffers, or deletion, 
with as many "undo” levels as you want. 

Brief has text search abilities nvaling 
"grep”, with wildcards for matching, 
indifference to intervening characters, 
acceptance of character ranges. 

If you use Lattice, C86™, or Wizard, and 
have 320k, you can compile your C 
program without ever leaving Brief. It finds 
the lines with errors, and marches you 
through the text for repairs. 

Parts of Brief were written with its own 
Lisp-like macro language which has 
structure, 32-character variable names, 
conditional execution, loops, and you can 
actually read it! Nothing like the 
hieroglyphs we’ve seen elsewhere. Bulletin 
board and public domain disks with 
macros. "Simply the best text editor you 
can buy", Dvorak Infoworld. (Needs 192k.) 
Ask for: List: PC Brand: 

U0590 *195 Call 


W indows for CTM is a library of over 
80 functions to add the pizazz and 
practicality of window partitioning to 
your application. Unlimited windows, 
each defined in a C structure for easy ref¬ 
erence throughout your program, can 
be made either to pop up or permanently 
overwrite the screen. Routines will scroll 
and highlight lists with arrow keys, will 
read and scroll ASCII files vertically and 
horizontally in windows, and even write 
to memory-loaded files off the screen. 

Logical treatment of video attributes 
permits unchanged programs to run on 
color or monochrome. Colors of win¬ 
dows are set individually. All functions 
are in separate modules. Only those used 
are linked. Only buffers holding on¬ 
screen or temporarily obscured win¬ 
dows occupy RAM; others released 
dynamically. 

Windows for Data comprises all of 
Windows for C but takes in data through 
the windows as well. At the high level a 
single function lets you specify prompt 
string, field length, data type, screen 
location, picture, target variable, then 
sets lesser functions scurrying to get and 
process a user’s input. There are utilities 
to get system date and time, mess with 
strings, create your own masks for fields. 

Field options can require or prevent 
entry, beeping on invalid or overflow 


I t bundles a source debugger and a 
“make", and sports a “huge” mem¬ 
ory model permitting single data ob¬ 
jects larger than 64k, but what’s really 
impressive about Microsoft C are the 
benchmarks reported in Dr. Dobb’s. 
Microsoft runs away from a field of 17 
winning 11 of 27 benchmarks. 

The Code Vie wTM debugger uses 
windows to show everything on one 
screen: source alongside disassembled 
object, variables, stack and registers. 
Drop down windows obviate learning 
of commands. “A source-level debug¬ 
ger that puts the rest to shame” said 
Dobb’s. 

Microsoft C has five memory models 
for code and data, plus non-library sup¬ 


port for another thirteen, and boasts 
alternate math packages for speed ver¬ 
sus accuracy, with or without 8087/ 
80287 chips. 

Both linker and library manager are 
part of the package, as is the “make”, 
which knows how to rebuild any size 
project by compiling only elements 
which have changed. 

It is reportedly used by Lotus, 
Ashton-Tate and, fittingly, Microsoft 
itself to develop Windows. Dobb's calls 
it “the best MS-DOS C development 
environment value today [for] virtually 
any kind of program conceivable.” 

320k suggested. 

Ask for: List: PC Brand: 

G0500 $450 $295 


HALO GRAPHICS 

SYSTEM Multi-Board 
Graphics Library 

The premier graphics library that got the 
ball rolling for PC-based graphics and has 
grown so omnipotent that it supports over 
25 graphics boards — including IBM’s 
EGA and Nr. 9 Revolution’s hi-res series — 
and has a multitude of mouse and printer 
drivers. All that in each box. Separate C 
versions for Lattice, M’soft, Aztez, CI86. 

What does Multi-Halo do? A down to the 
last pixel graphics library plus functions to 
reset drivers so distributed program can 
run on anything. Wonderful value for single 
license. Costly royalties though for 
redistribution. Specify: S0315 & Language. 
List: *300. We: *219. With Dr. Halo II, a free¬ 
standing "paint": List: *440, Us: *299. 


C TREE & R-TREE B-Tree File Manager Now Has Report Generator 


C-tree: Seasoned to perfection, 
c-treeTM is the only major b-tree file 
manager with network support in the 
standard low-cost version. It allows mul¬ 
tiple users to access an index file simul¬ 
taneously even during updating. Record¬ 
locking routines are provided for DOS 
3.x, UNIX and XENIX. 

C-tree even comes in C source code, 
yet there are no royalties. Source sticks 
to K&R, so C-tree is portable. Tfests in 
many environments prove it. 

C-tree permits any number of keys 
for a data file—alpha, numeric, even 
floating point. It handles files with 
varied record lengths and keeps multi¬ 
ple keys in one index file. Has both high 
level ISAM routines to handle details 


dBC Lattice Library Maintains dBASE 
Compatible Files With the Power and Speed ofC 


d BC™ links C to dBASE. It creates and 
maintains files and their indexes which 
exactly replicate dBASE file design. So 
dBASE can read and update them. And 
the reverse. dBC can use any files created 
by dBASE. Now C and dBASE can operate 
on the same data bases interchangeably. 

That opens up the widespread culture of 
dBASE installations to exploitation by C 
programmers. Tap that market, avoid the 
resident dBASE language, and gain the 
advantages of C with this single product. 

dBC’s functions parallel all dBASE's file 
handling commands, many decomposed 
to give closer control. Each backed by 
demo source files on disk. 


Use dBC for custom work for clients, or 
on its own. It’s a complete ISAM file 
manager for C whether or not dBASE will 
be used in tandem, supports all four 
memory models, and can have sixteen 
index and data files open. Big discount to 
buyers of both dBASE II and III versions. 
Specify Lattice, Microsoft 3.x, or DeSmet. 
Versions: List: PC Brand: 

L00II For dBASE II *250 *195 

LCCII With Source *500 *390 

L0III For dBASE III *250 *195 

LCIII With Source *500 *390 


__ - Latest feted 

W^S"’^DTEBMS?Wf5 S u S!- 

ss&s 


with minimum coding, and decomposed 
step-by-step functions you can access 
directly. In short, you get the works. 

r-tree: thousands of c-tree users (and 
you) now have a suddenly expanded 
ability to produce ad hoc reports from 
files maintained by c-tree (v. 4.1 and 
up). Just link a file description to the 
r-tree library, and all you need is an 
ordinary text editor to write any 
number of report scripts with no further 
C coding. Reports can access data in 
several files, select on criteria, join the 


findings into new logical records, sort 
them, calculate new fields and columns, 
tabulate by any number of control 
breaks. The script files show a visual 
representation of the report image for 
easy creation and maintenance of even 
elaborate layouts. r-treeTM comes in 
source, boasts the same portability as 
c-tree, and fits any compiler. 



list: 

PC Brand: 

c-tree: F0660 

$395 

$329 

r-tree: F0665 

$295 

$245 

Combined: 

$650 

$541 


POLYTRON VERSION CONTROL 

Source Code Control for Any Language 


PVCS allows programmers, project 
managers, librarians and system ad¬ 
ministrators to control the proliferation 
of revisions and versions of source 
code in software systems. Independ¬ 
ent programmers, the leading soft¬ 
ware publishers and LAN companies, 
and hundreds of Fortune 1000 compa¬ 
nies rely on PVCS to store and re¬ 
trieve multiple revisions of text. It 
maintains a complete history of revi¬ 
sions as an “audit trail”, generates 
status reports, and uses intelligent 
“difference detection” to minimize 
disk space for each new version. 

On Corporate and Network PVCS si¬ 
multaneous changes to a module are 
merged into a single new version. If 
changes conflict, the user is notified. 
The “Logfiles” used to track changes 
are interchangeable between any 
PVCS product. 


Corporate PVCS is for multiple pro¬ 
grammers. It includes “branching” to 
maintain code when programs evolve 
on multiple paths. Personal PVCS 
offers most of the power and flexibility 
of corporate PVCS, but excludes mul¬ 
tiple programmer features. Network 
PVCS is the Corporate version for 
LANs. File locking and security levels 
can be tailored to each project. 

PolyMake Still using a prehistoric 
Make? Step up to PolyMake, the most 
popular and powerful Make utility. 
Most flexible macros of any Make. 
Now integrated with PVCS and Poly- 
Librarian for faster performance and 
precise configuration management. 


Ask for: 

List 

PC Brand: 

Personal PVCS 

*149 

*109 

Corporate PVCS 

*395 

*309 

Network PVCS 

Call 

Call 

PolyMake 

*149 

*109 


For Orders or Literature, Call Us at.... 

800 PC-BRAND 

That’s (800) 722-7263. In NY State call (212) 242-3600 
PC Brand, 150 5th Ave., New York, N.Y. 10011-4311 
Telex: 667962 (SOFT COMM NYK) 

<8)1987 PC BRAND 

Prices, terms, and specifications subject’to change without notice. 












TODAY'S TOP QUALITY AIDS TO 
PROGRAMMING PRODUCTIVITY 


PANEL PLUS Library Source Code Gives It Complete Portability N ° R0YALT| ES! 


SUPER SOURCE 

Two great debugging and documenta¬ 
tion tools that support C, Modula, 

Pascal, BASIC, and dBASE: 

Source Print 

Author Alan Simpson writes "the best 
overall debugging technique is to... 
draw lines to connect all the IFs and 
DO WHILES etc. with their ENDIFs and 
ENDDOs. Use a pen or pencil to..." 
Well thanks. Alan, but we'll let Source 
Print do it for us. It draws vertical lines 
to connect all such beginnings and end¬ 
ings in a vivid display of your program's 
organization. And it can print programs 
with page numbers, headings, line num¬ 
bers, indent automatically, throw in a 
table of contents and a cross-reference 
index. About Source Print PC Magazine 
said, "Occasionally a utility comes 
along that makes a programmer’s life 
much easier." List: $75, Ours: $60 

..and Tree Diagrammer 

Tree Diagrammer prints an organization 
chart of your program's structure show¬ 
ing the hierarchy of function, procedure, 
and subroutine calls. Shows at a glance 
what routines call each other for clearer 
debugging. Every shop should have 
this important documentation tool. List: 
$55, Ours: $45. 


GREENLEAF 

Functions 

C source, assembler source, and bi¬ 
nary libraries of 225 functions for many 
compilers. Stresses tight functional 
groupings to minimize loading code 
your application may never use. Manu¬ 
al's 250 pages help select functions, as 
do demos, bulletin board. Has DOS ex¬ 
tensions, powerful string pointer manip¬ 
ulations. screen tools even to the pixel 
level, graphics primitives, keyboard, 
register and memory status, F-key as¬ 
signment. time/date. peek, poke, plenty 
more. Specify compiler. List: $185. 

Here: $139 

Comm unica tions 

Communicate from within your own C 
programs! Over 120 functions and demo 
programs in C and assembler source to 
set up interrupt-driven asynch commu¬ 
nications for up to 16 channels. Up to 
9600 baud. ASCII or binary, any parity 
or word length. 8250 UARTs, Xon/Xoff 
and Xmodem, WideTYack receive. 
Specify compiler. List: $185, Us: $139 


BASTOC optimize 5 '- 

Translates BASIC Into C 

For a trifling price, BASTOCTM moves 
truckloads of BASIC over to C. It’s a 
translator which takes in Microsoft Ex¬ 
tended BASIC and emits pure K&R C for 
Microsoft or Lattice. Structures even 
convoluted BASIC code. Optimized to 
dramatically reduce execution time. 
Dynamic string allocation ends BASIC's 
catatonic garbage collection. Huge 
worksaver. List $495, PC Brand: $399 


ryan -McFarland 

Killer FORTRAN °PTIMi Zesi 

Complete implementation of 
FORTRAN-77, the first PC FORTRAN 
certified by the GSA at the highest 
level. Why? It's a mainframe compiler 
moved to PCs. Your programs can wan¬ 
der between all sizes of machines. Pro¬ 
grams up to 640k (bigger with overlays), 
arrays over 64k, long list of VS. VAX 
and FORTRAN-66 extensions. Has de¬ 
bugger. overlay linker. R-M has written 
FORTRAN compilers for IBM. DEC. 
etc. for 20 years. No greater expert. 

List: $595, Us: CALL 


There are no end of tools for screen 
design and data entry, but none quite 
like Panel Plus. Design a screen under 
program control, use Panel’s utility to 
"run" and test it field by field, then 
pass it to Panel’s code generator which 
delivers C source code. Options style 
the code to your compiler's liking, and 
you can of course do what you like to 
the source afterward. The code calls 
Panel Plus's function library, but now 
the library comes in source, so every¬ 
thing produced is highly portable. Not 
like other screen managers delivered 
as object libraries and which leave you 
to write the detailed code. 

Panel Plus will operate in graphics 


mode via interfaces to graphics prod¬ 
ucts it supports and can utilize the 
EGA’s 43-line screen. Low-level I/O 
functions adapt it to various keyboards, 
screens, operating systems. 

Panel's newest incarnation has every 
imaginable feature. A single screen de¬ 
sign can have 1000 fields stacked as 
visual overlays up to 127 levels deep or 
as pop-ups. Groups of fields can be 
moved between levels. Screens can be 
output as compilable code or stored on 
disk for loading at run-time. Each field 
can be boxed, colored, multi-row, word¬ 
wrapped, and scrolled horizontally and 
vertically if larger than its on-screen 
view aperture. It can be assigned its 


own help and error message, can be 
told to accept certain characters, or to 
match a picture, and to check data 
after entry—proper dates, number 
ranges, etc.—using Panel’s or your own 
validation routines. You can add your 
routines to Panel's test utility because 
even it comes as source. Fields are ac¬ 
cessed in any order and control reverts 
to your application program after each 
field for choice of action. 

For past Panelists, the new version has 
smaller and faster field and screen 
functions, tighter granularity, and an en¬ 
hanced. reworked library. Major tool 
for the serious developer. List: $495, PC 
Brand: $395. 


Shopping List for the Power Workbench 


ASSEMBLERS & DEBUGGERS LIST US 

Advanced Trace-86 Morgan. ASM Interpreter ... 175 119 

C-Sprite Debugger by Lattice, source level . 175 139 

Microsoft Macro Assembler with Utilities . 150 109 

PASM86 by Phoenix, Macro Assembler . 195 125 

Periscope I Debugger from The Periscope Co. . . 345 299 

Periscope II w/NMI Breakout Switch . 175 139 

Periscope I IX soft ware on ly . 145 105 

Pfix86 Plus by Phoenix, Symbolic Debugger . . . 395 235 

BASIC LANGUAGE 

Microsoft BASIC Interpreter for XENIX . 350 295 

Microsoft QuickBASIC Compiler full BASICA . . 99 79 

Professional BASIC by Morgan . 99 69 

BORLAND PRODUCTS 

Reflex & Reflex Workshop. -200 129 

Ref I ex Data Base System . 150 89 

Reflex Workshop. 70 45 

Turbo Basic. New . 100 64 

Turbo C Compiler. New . 100 64 

Turbo Lightning. 100 64 

Turbo Pascal & Tutor. New . 125 85 

Turbo Pascal with 8087 & BCD. 100 64 

Turbo Tutor. 40 28 

POLYTRON PRODUCTS 

PVCS Corporate. Source Code Control Syst. . 395 309 

PVCS Personal. 149 109 

PVCS Network. Call Call 

PolyMake Complete Make Utility . 149 109 

PolyLibrarian Library Manager . 99 73 

PolyLibrarian II Library Manaer . 149 109 

PolyShell UNIX-like Command Shell . 149 109 

PolyXREF Complete Cross Ref Utility . 219 169 

PolyXREF One language only . 129 99 

PolyBoost The Software Accelerator . 80 64 

PolyDesk III 3rd Generation Desktop Org . 99 73 

PolyDesk III Add On Tools . Call Call 

C COMPILERS 

C86 PLUS by Computer Innovations . New... 497 397 

Lattice C Compiler from Lattice . 500 299 

Let’s C Compiler by Mark Williams . 75 55 

with CSD Source Level Debugger . 125 90 

MWC-86: Mark Williams C Development . 495 369 

Microsoft C Compiler 4.0 . 450 295 

C INTERPRETERS 

C-Terp by Gimpel Software . 300 249 

Instant C by Rational Systems . 500 395 

Interactive-C by IMP ACC with debugging . 249 219 

RUN/C Professional from Lifeboat . 250 185 

RUNIC without Loadable Libraries . 120 109 

TEXT EDITORS 

Brief from Solution Systems . 195 Call 

Edix by Emerging Tech...Multi screen . 195 159 

Epsilon by Lugaru Software, like EM ACS . 195 149 

FirsTime by Spruce Technology, C syntax . 295 229 

Kedit by Mansfield, similar to Xedit . 125 99 

LSE, the Lattice Screen Editor Multi Window ... 125 100 

Pmate by Phoenix, with Macros . 195 115 

Text Management Utilities Grep, splat, diff, etc. 120 100 

Vedit by Compuview . 150 99 

Vedit Plus by Compuview . 185 129 

FILE MANAGERS 

Btrieve by Softcraft, no royalties . 250 195 

Btrieve Network by Softcraft . 595 465 

C-Tree by FairCom - no royalties, source . 395 329 

R-Tr ee by FairCom-Report Generator . 295 245 

C-Tree & R-Tree Combo by FairCom . 650 541 

dBC ...from Lattice...maintains DBASE files .... 250 195 

with source . 500 390 

dBC III P\us...supports multi-user DBASE . 750 595 

with source . 1500 1185 

dbVista single user DBMS by Raima . 195 139 

dbVista multi-user DBMS . 495 399 

Opt-Tech Sort Can sort Btrieve files . 149 105 


SCREEN DESIGN LIST US 

Curses by Lattice. UNIX screen designer . 125 99 

with Source . 250 199 

Greenleaf Data Windows. New . 225 169 

with source . 395 297 

Panel Plus by Round Hill, no royalties . New . . 495 395 

View Manager for C by Blaise . 275 164 

Vitamin C by Creative Programming . 225 198 

VC Screen by Creative Programming . 100 81 

Windows for C Vermont Creative Software .... 195 149 

Windows for Data includes Windows forC .... 295 259 

ZView Data Management Consultants . 245 175 

GRAPHICS 

Essential Graphics by Essential, no royalties 250 210 

GSS Graphics Development Toolkit. 495 375 

GSS Kernel System by Graphic Software . 495 375 

GSS Metafile Interpreter. 295 235 

Halo by Media Cybernetics . 300 219 

with Dr. Halo II . 440 299 

Halo for Microsoft includes all fonts . 595 434 

COMMUNICATIONS 

Asynch Manager by Blaise, for Cor Pascal ... . 175 117 

Greenleaf Communications by Greenleaf . 185 139 

PTel by Phoenix, Binary File Communicator. ... 195 115 

UTILITY LIBRARIES 

Blaise C Tools Plus. 175 117 

Blaise C Tools. 125 84 

Blaise C Tools 2 . 100 67 

C Food Smorgasbord by Lattice . 150 109 

C Utility Library by Essential, 300 functions .... 185 139 

Greenleaf Functions by Greenleaf Software ... 185 139 

PforCe by Phoenix, vast library . 395 235 

DEVELOPMENT TOOLS 

Code Sifter by David Smith Software. Profiler 119 89 

C-Worthy by Custom Design Software . 295 269 

C-Worthy for Network Menus, help, errors . 495 449 

Dan Bricklin’s Demo Program Prototyper . 75 69 

LMK from Lattice by Lattice, “make" like UNIX . 195 149 

Microsoft Window Development Toolkit. 500 365 

PC-Lint by Gimpel Software, after UNIX's “lint". 139 125 

PFinish by Phoenix, EXE performance analyzer. 395 235 

Plink86 Plus Utilizes memory for overlays . 495 325 

Pmaker by Phoenix, like UNIX “make" . 125 85 

Pre-C by Phoenix, UNIX “Iinf-alike . 295 155 

Pfantasy Pac six Phoenix products . New Price 995 Call 

OTHER TOOLS 

BASTOC by JMI, convert BASIC to C . 495 399 

BASIC-C BASIC 's functions added toC . 175 139 

Report Option by Softcraft, Btrieve Report Gen.. 145 128 

Xtrieve by Softcraft, Query Utility for Btrieve ... 245 220 

FORTRAN COMPILERS & UTILITIES 

RM/FORTRAN by Ryan McFarland . 595 Call 

ACS Time Series by Alpha Computer Service . . . 495 405 

Forlib- Plus by Alpha Computer Service . 70 45 

Microsoft FORTRAN Links with Microsoft C . . . 450 281 

Microsoft FORTRAN for XENIX . 695 546 

Scientific Subroutine Package by Alpha . 295 239 

The Statistician by Alpha Computer . 295 239 

Strings & Things by Alpha Computer . 70 45 

OTHER LANGUAGES & UTILITIES 

RM/COBOL by Ryan-McFarland . 950 Call 

RM/COBOL8X ANSI 85 COBOL . 1250 Call 

Source Print ...source code formatter . 75 60 

Tree Diagrammer ...source code diagrammer .. . 55 45 

Microsoft COBOL Compiler. 700 499 

Microsoft COBOL Compiler for XENIX . 995 795 

Microsoft COBOL Tools with Source Debugger . 350 259 

Microsoft COBOL Tools for XENIX . 450 333 

Microsoft Lisp New Common Lisp . 250 189 

Microsoft MuMath includes MuSimp . 300 199 

Microsoft Pascal Compiler Links with M'soft C. 300 199 

Microsoft Pascal Compiler for XENIX . 695 546 

PDisk Phoenix's new disk manager . 195 125 























































































































PRICED TO SAVE YOU MONEY, 
SHIPPED FAST ANYWHERE. 


now - 


PHOENIX POWER 

PFORCE 

Pfunction Pfestival 

The ultimate integrated C library, 
offering everything from low level 
functions for hardware access to __ 
complete b-tree database management. 
Along the way are fundamentals for 
string manipulation, time/date calcula¬ 
tions, field and screen editing, but also 
four styles of menus (Lotus included), 
windowing, background tasking, DOS 
interfaces, directory management, even 
interrupt-driven communications. 

Beyond tools for application develop¬ 
ment are programmer utilities for disk 
library management, archiving and 
compilation. Design emphasizes objects 
so characteristics of windows, data¬ 
bases, records and fields can be estab¬ 
lished outside functions. 

One large collection means consistent 
instructions, single index. PforCeTM has 
tutorials, examples, quick reference, 
and on-line help. 

Everything in source, no royalties, all 
memory models of Lattice, M’soft. 
Specify: S0220 & Compiler. 

List: $395, PC Brand: $235. 

PRE-C Pick the Lint 
from Your Program 

Pre-CTM is like UNIX's “lint". It finds 
problems your compiler won’t. Prob¬ 
lems that a debugger will have trouble 
figuring out. 

Compilers work with one module at 
a time. They don’t see other modules 
which only meet at link time. Pre-C 
looks at all segments of your program 
at once and reports inter-module calam¬ 
ities: conflicting data type declarations; 
parameter lists in function calls which 
disagree with the functions themselves; 
machine-dependent expressions which 

ZVIEW 

Screen Design Aid 

A complete package for screen 
design with full windows manage¬ 
ment as a bonus! Easy creation of 
screens with complex validation, such 
as range checking or required/option¬ 
al data. Powerful Screen Paint utility 
for creating or editing applications 
screens. Built in security levels, set at 
run-time, control read or read/write 
access by field or screen. Automatic 
help screen processing for run-time 
aid per field or screen. Applications 
regain control during field tabbing, 
allowing run-time on-screen transaction 
processing or flow control. Run-time 
functions include Screen Read and 
Write with automatic transparent data 
conversion from screen image to data 
storage, Field Editing, Help Screen 
Processing, even a capability to 
change any field characteristic at run¬ 
time, plus Window Push Pop and Scroll. 
Versions for Lattice, Microsoft and 
Aztec C. Automatic free updates to 
registered users. No run-time royalties. 
List: *245 PC Brand: *175 


' "I-iai The list P^oa^Ius 0 ^'* 8 ® 
p h antasma90__.p mat e, ^Sefcombinedr, 1 * 


LATTICE C COMPILER 

The Most Widely Used C Compiler by Far 

T he compiler that put C on the PC. 

More programmers use Lattice than 
my other. Its huge libraries (325 func- 


mhibit portability, obsolete usage, casts 
with suspect conversions, variables 
never used, functions never called. 

Adheres to Unix System III standard 
for portability. Ask for: P0590, 

List: $295, From Us: $155. 

PLINK86 PLUS Cached 

Overlays Maximize 
Memory Use 

Plink86TM shoehorns large programs in¬ 
to small machines by swappmg program 
segments in from disk. Because modules 
share memory, a 512k program could 
run in a 128k machine, for example. But 
Plmk86 is smarter than that: if it finds it¬ 
self in a larger machine, it moves into 
leftover memory whatever program 
overlays will fit. Overlays now swap at 
memory speed not disk speed. Can 
automatically restore a displaced over¬ 
lay to which a subsequently called over¬ 
lay must now return, and can assign 
library modules either to the root seg¬ 
ment or to overlay areas. Long indispen¬ 
sable to serious developers. Ask for: 
S0499. List: $495 Us $325. 


tions!) enable the file-sharing and 
record-locking provisions of DOS 3.1, 
provide full transcendental, and utili¬ 
ties to mimic the UNIXTM and 
XENIXTM environments. Embraces key 
UNIX enhancements: void functions, 
enumerated data types, data passing 

/P^XPOLLAR 
ON SALE! 

| prices 8 St ates? Our I 

w jrat has haprfJnffiF L °ok I 

I of Program minetnmJ 0 prices 
I ma/or currencies - 00 S these < 

I Btrieve n S/1/85 Time 

| OSS Kernel P 550 355 

Windows/Data S F 2260 

I ^vantage 7a bln’ So !ake 

or telex yoZ a 7jga,n. Phone 
I credit cards Zt now - Por 
I number, expiry daC 660 card 
er a name and te ^ card ho/d- 
I wire tunds(see d "Pa Mress • 0r 

kEL We ^P im7e7a n te,y be - 


GSS GRAPHICS SYSTEM rr . stand ard-. 

Leave the Device Driving to GSS ANSI 


G SSTM has reconfigured two compo¬ 
nents of its comprehensive graphics 
tools to conform with the ANSI Computer 
Graphics Interface (CGI) standard. 

At the heart of the system is the Devel¬ 
opment Toolkit which contains all lan¬ 
guage interfaces and device drivers for 
keyboards, mice, joysticks, tablets, print¬ 
ers, plotters, cameras, and more. Driv¬ 
ers house management of vector graphics 
(plotters) and bitmaps used by raster 
input devices (scanners) to insulate the 
application program from concern for 
device idiosyncracy. No one else has 
implemented CGI that way. It means 
your programming remains generic; just 
switch drivers and the same program 
will drive a different device. 

GSS KernelTM conforms to level 2b of 
ANSI’s Graphical Kernel System (GKS) 
and contains all its needed dnvers and 
language bindings. Kernel has macro 
level tools to draw and color an object, 
store the sequential instructions, and re¬ 
create the object on its own, as well as 
segment it, transform it, etc. So powerful, 
a single command may represent sev¬ 
eral score lower level statements. 

Kernal has the tools for graph and 
chart generation and their captioning: 
hand it apples and oranges, say “pie'', 
and it bakes the numbers into a digesti¬ 
ble display for screen or plotters. 

Kernel can convert the images it cre¬ 
ates to ANSI Computer Graphics Meta¬ 
files (CGMs), a tokemzed standard for 
storing every form of graphic image as 


data. The Metafile Interpreter reads the 
contents of a CGM and interprets it with 
full CGI capability for recreation on vari¬ 
ous devices. 

Quality software? IBM thinks so. They 
sell the GSS series under their own label. 

Unit royalties and annual fees have 
been instituted for redistribution. Needs 
256k. 

Ask for: List PC Brand: 

GS010 CGI Dvlpmt Toolkit $495 $375 

GS020 Kernel System $495 $375 

GS040 Metafile Interpreter $295 $235 


between structures by assignment. 
Defaults to the ANSI proposed stand¬ 
ard, but command line options offer 
leniency. Also ANSI checking of exter¬ 
nal data types to swat bugs at link up. 

You get small .EXE files, very fast link 
times and efficient aliasing. New options 
generate code to use 80186 and 80286 
features; 88087 sensed and utilized. 

PC Journal review of 12 compilers 
called Lattice “a fine product to con¬ 
sider for the production of important 
applications." Ask for: SO 100. List: $500, 
PC Brand: $299 

BLAISE C Tools Plus 

N othing pays you back quicker than 
a function library, and Blaise has 
long been known as a great one. 

C Tools Plus, the top of the line, now 
has over 200 functions. Mature, tight, 
predominantly in C, they isolate hard¬ 
ware dependence, come in source and 
library, with no royalty. The rundown: 

Screen Handling: either via BIOS or 
direct to video adapter; supports EGA, 
43-line mode and multiple pages, twin 
monitors. Windows: any number, stack- 
able, writable, wordwrapable, and 
erasable. Interrupts: well known for in¬ 
terrupt service routines in C, from 
which you can now access DOS func¬ 
tions. Directories: Create, change, or 
search directories, rename files, get 
and change their date/times. Memory: 
control DOS memory allocation, load a 
“child" process alongside your pro¬ 
gram, even create memory-resident 
programs—and remove them. Strings: 
international money, dates and charac¬ 
ter sets, plus superfunctions to perform 
several tasks with a single call. Gen¬ 
eral: BIOS and DOS gates for direct 
access, memory copy, speaker control, 
it goes on. Our complete Blaise line: 

List: PC Brand: 

C Tools Plus $175 $117 

Asynch Manager $175 $117 

View Manager $275 $164 

Turbo Asynch Plus $100 $ 67 

Turbo Power Tools + $100 $ 67 


BTRIEVE ASK US ABOUT XTRIEVE& REPORT OPTION 

Queen B-tree File Manager Abdicates Royalties 

Can even extend a file across two drives — 
even two hard disks! 

Version 4.x speeds DOS interaction for 
large multiply-keyed files; enables 
variable length records of virtually any 
length; verifies accuracy (optionally) with 
read after write, useful in gritty en¬ 
vironments; offers password and data 
encryption. 

There’s also Xtrieve, for Btrieve file in¬ 
quiry and data manipulation, and Rtrieve 
for report writing. All three in versions for 
any network that supports the MS-DOS 3.1 
file sharing function. 

Ask for: List: PC Brand: 

S0650 *250 *195 

S0652 Network Version *595 *465 


T here’s no longer a tithe to incorporate 
Btrieve™ in applications, a welcome 
proclamation if royalties would ruin your 
profit margins. Btrieve takes complete 
charge of all file creation, indexing, 
reading, writing, insertion, deletion, space 
recapture, forward and backward search¬ 
ing. It builds function call "commands" 
right into the language you use: interfaces 
to C, Pascal, BASIC, and COBOL, with sam¬ 
ple programs in all four, come with each 
copy. 

Btrieve has mainframe specifications! Its 
balanced-tree indexing scheme finds any 
key in a million in four or less accesses. 
Files may have up to 24 indexes; fixed 
record length to 4090 characters; indexes 
up to 255 characters; files of 4 billion bytes. 


TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE 


Licenses: Each price is for a license to use a prod¬ 
uct on a single computer and does not constitute 
its ownership. We will inquire for you about site 
licenses. Except as otherwise indicated or where 
‘ # follows the Product Code, products may be 
used to create programs for distribution without 
royalty payments or additional licenses, provided 
said programs do not substantially replicate the 
products themselves. 

Compatibility: PC BRAND’S standard products 
are designed to operate with the IBM ‘ PC, XT or AT 
under PC-DOS and require no more than 128k of 
RAM unless indicated. Non IBM machines using 
MS-DOS: contact manufacturer about precise dif¬ 
ferences so we can advise. 

Returns: See box page one. Defective parts will be 
replaced. Please call for authorization to return a 
product for refund 


Payment: We honor MasterCard. Visa. American 
Express (no surcharge), checks in advance, or 
funds wired to PC Brand, c/o Chemical Bank. 126 
East 86 St., New York. Account 034-016058. COD 
(U S only) for cash, money order, certified check 
(no fee). NY State, add sales tax. Purchase orders 
accepted from larger corporations and institutions 
at our discretion if you agree to net 30 days plus 2% 
a month late penalty thereafter. 

Shipping & Handling: U S: UPS Surface: 1st 
product $6, each add’l $3. UPS 2nd Day Air 1st 
product $10. each add’l $4.50. UPS Next Day Air or 
Federal Express 1-2 Day Air: 1st product $18. each 
add'l $6. FedEx Next Day 10 AM: 1st product $28. 
each add'l $7 International: Charges vary by 
destination and carrier. $10 per shipping container 
for export forms. Air parcel post at your risk beyond 
collected insurable amount 


For Orders or Literature, Call Us at.... 

8OO PC-BRAND 

That’s (800) 722-7263. In NY State call (212) 242-3600 
PC Brand, 150 5th Ave., New York, N. Y. 10011-4311 

Telex: 667962 (SOFT COMM NYK) 

©1987 PC BRAND 

Prices, terms, and specifications subject to change without notice. 









Introducing 

the Hercules InColor Card. 

It runs mare software at a higher resolution 
than any other color graphics card . 


he Hercules® InColor™ Card offers 
everything you’d expect from a 
high resolution color graphics card 
from Hercules — and more. 

Compatibility: The InColor Card is 
compatible with the thousands of pro¬ 
grams that run on our monochrome 
cards. 

Color: The InColor Card gives color 
capability to Hercules-compatible 
software like 1-2-3® and AutoCAD! 

Resolution: The InColor Card’s resolu¬ 
tion of 720x348 is the highest of any 
widely supported standard. 

RamFont: The InColor Card has our 
unique RamFont mode — in color. 

Better graphics. 

Hercules is known for bringing high 



The InColor Card's RamFont mode gives Lotus 1-2-3 
a pop-up graphics window and lets you view nearly 
twice as much spreadsheet data—all in full color. 


resolution monochrome text and 
graphics to programs like 1-2-3® and 
AutoCAD! 

Now the InColor Card gives you 
the same high resolution 720x348 
graphics in up to 16 colors using an 
IBM® Enhanced Color Display, multi¬ 
sync monitor, or equivalent. 

That’s the highest resolution of any 
widely supported graphics standard. 

And no other color graphics card 
allows you to move back and forth 
between color and monochrome sys¬ 
tems without changing drivers. 

Runs more software. 

All Hercules-compatible text, 
graphics and RamFont software runs 
on the InColor Card in black and 
white, or at least two colors. 

And many popular programs like 
1-2-3, Symphom^ AutoCAD and 
Microsoft® Windows that use graphics 
or RamFont, run in full color. 

More powerful RamFont. 

RamFont is a new mode developed 
by Hercules that gives your software 
the ability to display multiple fonts at 
lightning fast speeds. 

RamFont transforms advanced 
word processors like Microsoft Word 
from slow to text-mode fast. 

Tbchnical word processors like 
Lotus Manuscript™ use RamFont 

















to display onscreen the text you want 
to print. 

Even 1-2-3 uses RamFont to almost 
double the size of the spreadsheet 
picture. 

And now, with the InColor Card, 
you get an enhanced RamFont with 
3,072 programmable characters in up 
to 16 colors. 

All the way up to 12,288 characters 
in four colors. 

With the InColor Card’s RamFont, 
no program should run out of speed, 
color or fonts ever again. 



AutoCAD gets the same high resolution 720x3^8 
graphics as our famous monochrome cards—only 
now in full color on an IBM Enhanced Color 
Display. 


What the InColor Card 

could mean to your company. 

The InColor Card allows you to run 
a program in color, and then move to a 
Hercules Graphics Card Plus and run 
the same program in monochrome. 

Without changing drivers. 

Compatibility between the InColor 
Card and our monochrome card allows 
you to network around one standard— 
Hercules. At last your PCs will have 
compatible graphics, in color or mono¬ 
chrome. 

Remember, only the InColor Card 


Features of the Hercules InColor Card 

• Hi-res text with 9x14 character size in up 
to 16 colors with attributes 

• 720x348 Hercules graphics in 16 colors 
selected from 64 color palette 

• Special RamFont mode displays 3,072 pro¬ 
grammable characters in 16 colors with 
attributes, up to 12,288 characters in 4 colors 

• Runs Hercules-compatible graphics soft¬ 
ware in b&w or any two background colors 

• Designed for use with the IBM Enhanced 
Color Display, multisync monitors, or 
equivalents 

• Software diskette includes font editor, 
sample fonts, and Hercules utilities 

• Parallel printer port 

• Two year warranty 


has color-to-monochrome 
compatibility, high resolu¬ 
tion text and graphics, 
and the power of color 
RamFont. 

Call 1-800-532-0600, or 
1-800-323-0601 in Canada, 
Ext. 511 to find out more 
on how the Hercules 
InColor Card can 
improve your software. 



The New Hercules InColor Card. 


Hercules Computer Technology, 2550 Ninth St., Berkeley, CA 94710 Ph: 415 540-6000Thlex: 754063 Fax: 415 540-6621 Trademarks/Owner: Hercules, InColor, RamFont/Hercules; Lotus, 1-2-3, 

Symphony, Manuscript/Lotus; Microsoft/Microsoft; AutoCAD/AutoDesk; IBM/IBM 


CIRCLE NO. 242 ON READER SERVICE CARD 











One of the oldest high-level languages, FORTRAN 
continues to evolve, while maintaining strong standards. 
Seven compilers for the PC are reviewed here. 


JOHN VOGLEWEDE 


A mong high-level computer lan- 
guages, FORTRAN is a relatively 
JL JL ancient tongue. An acronym for 
formula translator, FORTRAN was intro¬ 
duced in 1954 and was first imple¬ 
mented on an IBM 704 in 1956. Within 
a few years, several versions of the new 
language were available. 

Although those early versions of 
FORTRAN offered great flexibility in 
processing numerical data, their ability 
to manipulate strings or alphabetic data 
was marginal at best. Input and output 


(I/O) facilities were primitive. Language 
constructs such as the IF and GO TO 
statements resulted in abrupt shifts in 
program control from one area to an¬ 
other, making program flow difficult to 
follow and prone to error. But in spite 
of these limitations, the language flour¬ 
ished among mathematicians, scientists, 
and engineers because of its ability to 
handle numerical data easily. Later revi¬ 
sions to FORTRAN corrected many of 
the original shortcomings, and now 
modern FORTRAN allows character 


string manipulation and sophisticated 
control of I/O functions. In addition, the 
block IF and ELSE.. .IF statements have 
given the language a more structured 
character. By adapting to programming 
needs, FORTRAN has remained one of 
the most popular computer languages. 
Its portability and widespread use oh 
mainframes make it a valuable tool for 
the microcomputer user. 

FORTRAN compilers for the IBM 
PC were last reviewed in October 1985 
(see “FORTRAN Options,” Alan Howard, 


COMPUTER GRAPHIC * MURi^AV TAYlOR^ilvXKESliiE-Ij^r- 







c 

C Calculate the sum of all elements 
C 

sun = 0.0 

DO 10 J = 1,200 
DO 10 1=1,200 

sun = sun + nATRim,j) 

10 CONTINUE 

c 

WRITE**,1QQQJ SUn 

1000 FORnflT(2J<, , SUn = MF 9.13 

END 


FORTRAN 


p. 149). The four compilers examined at 
that time have been revised, a few ex¬ 
tensively. This article reexamines those 
four and considers three new FORTRAN 
products. The compilers examined here 
are DRI FORTRAN-77 from Digital Re¬ 
search, Inc., Utah FORTRAN by Ellis 
Computing, Inc., F77L by Lahey Com¬ 
puter Systems, Inc., Microsoft Corpora¬ 
tion FORTRAN, Prospero Software’s Pro 
FORTRAN-77, RM/FORTRAN by Ryan- 
McFarland Corporation, and WATFOR- 
77 from watcom Products, Inc. 

All of these' packages are commer¬ 
cial versions of FORTRAN compilers 
written for the PC and compatibles. A 
list of compiler specifications is pro¬ 
vided in table 1; additional software 
products included with each compiler 
package are also identified. 

COMMON DENOMINATORS 

Three major technical issues have in¬ 
fluenced the development and applica¬ 
tion of FORTRAN compilers on the PC: 
the FORTRAN language standard, the In¬ 
tel 8087/80287 numeric coprocessors 
(the use of either of which is referred 
to here as simply 8087), and the 16-bit 
addressing scheme of the PC. 

First, the language standard is an 
industry-wide specification established 
for FORTRAN. This effort dates to 1962, 
when the American Standards Associa¬ 
tion formed a committee to develop a 
uniform version of the language. Four 
years later, the results of the commit¬ 
tee’s work were published as American 
National Standard FORTRAN or ANSI 
X3.9-1966. This standard was revised 
more than a decade later as ANSI X3.9- 
1978. The two specifications of the lan¬ 
guage are commonly referred to as 
FORTRAN-66 and FORTRAN-77. 

FORTRAN-77 describes two levels 
of the language: the complete standard 
and a subset thereof. Additional lan¬ 
guage features, or extensions , are per¬ 
mitted but are not part of the standard. 
Because portability is one of FORTRAN’S 
strong points, adherence to the formal 
language standard can be considered an 
absolute requirement rather than sim¬ 
ply a guide. Indeed, it is implemented 
by all but one of the compilers re¬ 
viewed here (Ellis’s Utah FORTRAN im¬ 
plements a subset of the FORTRAN-66 
standard). A revision to ANSI FORTRAN- 
77, referred to as FORTRAN-8x, is cur- 
rendy under development. Details of 
the proposed standard suggest that it 
will bridge the gap between FORTRAN- 
77 and more modem programming lan¬ 
guages, such as Pascal. Understandably, 
few of these compilers attempt to antici¬ 
pate the new specification. 


The second issue is the Intel nu¬ 
meric coprocessors. The 8087 and 
80287 bring 68 additional floating-point 
arithmetic operations to the instruction 
set of a host processor. These opera¬ 
tions are executed 10 to 50 times faster 
than can be simulated on the host. The 
result is a FORTRAN programmer’s 
dream: lightning fast execution of the 
floating-point arithmetic instructions so 
common to FORTRAN. However, be¬ 
cause the 8087 is an extra-cost option, 
many PCs do not have one installed. 

The majority of compilers reviewed 
here are capable of generating execut¬ 
able code for configurations with or 
without the 8087, but sometimes the 
choice must be made during either the 
compilation or link step. Lahey’s F77L 
and Ellis’s Utah FORTRAN generate ex¬ 
ecutable code for a single configuration 
only; DRI’s FORTRAN-77, Microsoft 
FORTRAN, and RM/FORTRAN allow the 
decision to be postponed until the ex¬ 
ecutable code is loaded. At that time, 
the executable file tests for the pres¬ 
ence of a coprocessor; if present, it is 
used. Executable code produced for the 
non-8087 configuration also will run on 
the 8087 configuration. 

Another consideration regarding 
the 8087 is the manner in which mathe¬ 
matical operations are carried out with 
the coprocessor. The 8087 performs all 

T bree issues have affected 
FORTRAN’S progress on the 
PC: the language standard, 
the 8087, and the 16-bit ad¬ 
dressing scheme of the PC. 


of its calculations in an 80-bit, ex¬ 
tended-precision format according to a 
proposed IEEE math standard. Because 
this data format does not match the 16-, 
32-, or 64-bit formats normally encoun¬ 
tered on the PC, certain rounding and 
conversion operations are used, again 
in conformance with the IEEE standard. 
The result is that floating-point opera¬ 
tions are carried out in very high preci¬ 
sion—approximately 18 decimal digits 
of accuracy. Single- and double-preci¬ 
sion FORTRAN calculations, therefore, 
may have nearly identical runtimes and 
differ only in the extent to which the 
results are truncated. 

In non-8087 configurations, the 
compiler must rely on floating-point li¬ 


brary routines for the host processor 
that emulate the high-precision opera¬ 
tion of the 8087. The emulation process 
is relatively slow, so abbreviated or al¬ 
ternate math library routines may be 
provided. The alternate math routines 
produce smaller, faster executable code 
at the expense of accuracy and calcula- 
tional agreement with the 8087 configu¬ 
ration. The library options (8087, 8087 
emulation, or alternate floating-point) 
that are provided with each compiler 
are shown in table 1. 

The performance variance among 
the compilers is demonstrated in figure 
1 as a display of code execution speed 
versus accuracy under various options 
and configurations. The results for this 
figure were produced by running a 
small program called PERFORM.F77 
(listing 1), which repeatedly executes a 
set of intrinsic functions, through each 
compiler. The outcome of each itera¬ 
tion is known to be zero; therefore, the 
actual error can be determined and 
summed for all iterations. The precision 
of the result is simply the base-10 loga¬ 
rithm of the total accumulated error. 

Under the constraints of the IEEE 
math standard, the results might be 
expected to cluster on the figure. For 
example, the 8087 results might be 
expected to fall on the right side while 
the non-8087 results would fall on the 
left. In a similar fashion, all single-preci¬ 
sion results might lie in the lower half 
of the figure while all double-precision 
results land in the upper half. But this 
was not the case entirely. 

The compilers’ alternate math li¬ 
braries tend to bridge the gap between 
each quadrant of the figure. The preci¬ 
sion of the Microsoft 8087 emulation, 
for example, is the same, regardless of 
whether a single- or double-precision 
version of PERFORM.F77 was used. This 
is also true for Microsoft’s actual 8087 
version, thus indicating that operands 
are kept in the 8087 registers for nearly 
the entire operation. In this circum¬ 
stance, the introduction of intermediate 
(even DOUBLE PRECISION) variables 
into the program leads to greatly re¬ 
duced precision. The most important 
observation to be made from figure 1 is 
that a wide variation in FORTRAN per¬ 
formance is possible, even for a single 
compiler (using different options) or a 
single machine. 

The final technical issue that has 
influenced the development and appli¬ 
cation of FORTRAN compilers on the PC 
is the machine’s 16-bit addressing 
scheme. Quite simply, the PC’s 16-bit 
processor does not readily access large 
amounts of memory, yet many pro- 


94 


PC TECH JOURNAL 



TABLE It Compiler SpecifiedHour 



DRI 

ELLIS 

LAHEY 

MICROSOFT 

PROSPERO 

RM 

WATCOM 

PRODUCT 

FORTRAN-77 

Utah 

F77L 

FORTRAN 

Pro 

RM/ 

WATFOR-77 



FORTRAN 



FORTRAN-77 

FORTRAN 


VERSION TESTED 

4.1 

1.0(4) 

2.2 

4.00A 

1.141 

2.11 

1.4 

PRICE 

$350.00 

$39.95 

$477.00 

$450.00 

$149.00 

$595.00 

$375.00 

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 








DOS version 

2.0+ 

2.0+ 

2.0+ 

2.0+ 

2.1 + 

2.1 + 

2.0+ 

RAM (KB) 

100 

128 

256 

512 

120 

192 

256 

Numeric coprocessor a 

Opt. 

N/A 

Req. 

Opt. 

XOR 

Opt. 

XOR 

MEMORY MODEL 








64KB code 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

n*64KB code 

• 

O 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

640KB code 

o 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

O 

64KB data 

• 

32KB 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

n*64KB data 

• 

O 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

640KB data 

o 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

COMPILER OPERATION 








Single-step compile 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

o 

Compile and link 

o 

o 

o 

• 

o 

o 

• 

DOS path names 

o 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Multiple files 

o 

o 

o 

• 

o 

o 

o 

Wild cards 

O 

o 

o 

• 

o 

o 

o 

Source listing 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Assembly language output 

• 

o 

o 

• 

o 

• 

o 

Line numbered messages 

• 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

COMPILER DIRECTIVES 








Command line 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Source file 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Include 

• 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Nested 

o 

o 

• 

• 

o 

o 

• 

COMPILE OPTIONS 








Cross reference 

o 

o 

• 

o 

Pgm. fe 

• 

o 

Subscript check 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

o 

• 

Call parameter check 

o 

o 

• 

o 

o 

o 

o 

Strict FORTRAN-77 

o 

o 

o 

• 

o 

o 

• 

Global SAVE 

o 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

o 

INTERFACE 








Assembly language 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

C language 

• 

_c 

• 

• 

_c 

_c 

_ c 

Pascal 

_ c 

_c 

_ c 

• 

• 

_c 

_c 

80186/80286 inst. 

o 

o 

o 

• 

• 

• 

0 

LINKER OPTIONS 








Memory overlays 

• 

o 

o 

• 

• 

• 

o 

Preset data values 

• 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

• 

LIBRARY OPTIONS 








8087 

• 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

8087 emulation 

• 

o 

o 

• 

o 

• 

• 

Alternate math 

o 

• 

o 

• 

• 

O 

o 

OTHER PROGRAMS 








Linker 

• 

• 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Debugger 

o 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Source code editor 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

• 

Librarian 

• 

o 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Graphics 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

• 


• = Yes O = No a Opt. = Optional (8087 will be used if present). b Separate program. 

N/A = Not applicable (8087 is ignored). c Capability not discussed in documentation. 

Req. = Required (8087 must be present). 

XOR= Presence of8087 must be determined prior to linking. 


Most of the compilers offer a choice between 8087 operation and 8087 emulation or alternate math routines. The two excep¬ 
tions are the Lahey compiler, which requires an 8087 for its operation, and the Ellis product, which will not use an 8087 at all. 


JUNE 1987 


95 








FORTRAN 


FIGURE 1: Variations in Numerical Performance 


25 


20 


15 


PRECISION 
(decimal 
digits) 1Q 


MSSE ^ MSDE 


DRDE 


k RMDE 


PSDE ^ MSDA 
WPDE 


MSD7 MSS7 


LCD7 

DRD7 

WPD7 • • •# RMD7 

PSD7 


DRSE 


ELS 

•• • 

RMSE 


WPSE 


PSSE^MSSA 


WPS7 


-L 


LCS7 

DRS7 

# #• RMS7 
PSS7 


DR = Digital Research, Inc. 

EL = Ellis Computing, Inc. 

LC = Lahey Computer Systems, Inc. 
MS = Microsoft Corporation 
PS = Prospero Software 
RM = Ryan-McFarland Corporation 
WP = WATCOM Products, Inc. 


10 100 

SPEED (iterations per second) 

S = Single-precision 
D = Double-precision 


1,000 


7 = 8087 used 
A = Alternate math 
E = 8087 emulation 


A wide variation is FORTRAN numerical performance is possible, even for a single compiler simply using different options. 


grams in FORTRAN are memory-inten¬ 
sive. Because a 16-bit memory address 
can span only 64KB of memory (a seg¬ 
ment), the compiler must rely on indi¬ 
rect means to access memory beyond 
that limit. This is accomplished by com¬ 
bining the 16-bit address within the seg¬ 
ment (called the offset) with the 16-bit 
start-of-segment address—a process that 
complicates address calculation. 

If the compiled code and the data 
used by the program were all resident 
in a single memory segment, all memo¬ 
ry references could be based on a sin¬ 
gle 16-bit start-of-segment address regis¬ 
ter. In practice, FORTRAN compilers 
generate code and data segments sepa¬ 
rately. Several segments can be ac¬ 
cessed as described, permitting large 
amounts of memory to be used. 

In addition to the overhead from 
the complicated addressing scheme, the 
problem remains of allowing code or 
data to cross segment boundaries. Some 
compilers leave this issue to be re¬ 
solved by the user. That is, code and 
data must be provided to the compiler 
in portions that are 64KB or smaller in 
size. For code, the restriction is not 
very significant because 64KB of execut¬ 
able code can be the result of several 


thousands of lines of source code. In 
addition, many 64KB program segments 
can be combined into a single executa¬ 
ble file. For data, however, this restric¬ 
tion is quite significant. A single large 
array may require more than a single 
64KB segment of memory. Other re¬ 
strictions also may exist, such as a 
requirement to put arrays in named 
COMMON blocks. 

The compilers reviewed here sup¬ 
port a variety of memory models, thus 
the user can choose among trade-offs 
between memory access and execution 
speed. The 64KB code/64KB data mem¬ 
ory models accommodate small pro¬ 
grams and produce fast, efficient code. 
The larger (n*64KB and 1MB) memory 
models provide access to significantly 
more memory at the expense of execu¬ 
tion speed. Although it is difficult to 
characterize the programmer’s restric¬ 
tions in a simple manner, the memory 
model descriptions provided by each 
vendor are summarized in table 1. 

FEATURING FORTRAN 

As noted, with the exception of Utah 
FORTRAN, all of these compilers con¬ 
form to the full ANSI FORTRAN-77 stan¬ 
dard, rather than the subset. (Table 2 


lists the language features encompassed 
by each product.) The FORTRAN-66 and 
FORTRAN-77 standards share many 
common features; thus, each may be 
considered an informal subset of the 
other. To determine whether a com¬ 
piler provides minimum support of the 
FORTRAN-66 standard, the compiler op¬ 
tions were examined. If, during the test, 
it was possible to perform all DO loops 
at least once before the value of a DO 
variable was tested, the compiler was 
classified as an informal subset of 
FORTRAN-66. This is a definitive test be¬ 
cause the FORTRAN-77 standard re¬ 
quires the DO variable to be tested 
prior to executing the DO loop. 

Also listed in table 2 are a number 
of extensions to FORTRAN-77—free 
format source code and in-line com¬ 
ments, for example. FORTRAN-77 recog¬ 
nizes uppercase letters, digits, and 13 
special characters. The special charac¬ 
ters listed in the table for each com¬ 
piler are in addition to those recog¬ 
nized by ANSI. All of these compilers 
accept upper- or lowercase input and, 
in some cases, distinguish between the 
two for certain language constructs. The 
IMPLICIT NONE statement is a particu¬ 
larly useful extension—a nonstandard 


96 


PC TECH JOURNAL 















TABLE 2: Language Features 



DRI 

ELLIS 

LAHEY 

MICROSOFT 

PROSPERO 

RM 

WATCOM 

PRODUCT 

FORTRAN-77 

Utah 

F77L 

FORTRAN 

Pro 

RM/ 

WATFOR-77 



FORTRAN 



FORTRAN-77 

FORTRAN 


VERSION TESTED 

4.1 

1.0(4) 

2.2 

4.00A 

1.141 

2.11 

1.4 

ANSI LEVEL 








FORTRAN-66 

Subset 

Subset 

None * 

Subset 

None* 

Subset 

None* 

FORTRAN-77 

Full 

_ b 

Full 

Full 

Full 

Full 

Full 

SOURCE CODE FORMAT 








Free format 

• 

O 

• 

• 

O 

• 

O 

In-line comments 

0 

O 

• 

• 

O 

O 

O 

DATATYPES 








INTEGER 

1/2/4/8 

_c 

2/4 

1/2/4 

1/2/4 

2/4 

1/2/4 

REAL 

4/8/10 

_c 

4/8 

4/8 

4/8 

4/8 

4/8 

DOUBLE PRECISION 

8 

_c 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

LOGICAL 

1 

6 

1/4 

1/2/4 

1/2/4 

1/4 

1/4 

COMPLEX 

8/16/20 

_ d 

8/16 

8/16 

8 

8/16 

8/16 

DECIMAL 

— 

6 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

CHARACTER 

<65,536 

<7 

<65,281 

<32,768 

<236 

<236 

<65,336 

IMPLICIT NONE 

O 

O 

• 

• 

• 

O 

O 

Variable name length 

40 

6 

31 

31 

6 

31 

32 

INPUT/OUTPUT 








List-directed I/O 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Internal I/O 

• 

O 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

NAMELIST 

O 

O 

• 

O 

O 

O 

O 

EDIT DESCRIPTIONS 








A 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

B (binary) 

O 

• 

o 

O 

O 

O 

O 

BN/BZ 

• 

0 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

D 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

E 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

F 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

G 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Hollerith 

• 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

L 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

O (octal) 

• 

O 

O 

0 

O 

o 

o 

P 

• 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

S/SP/SS 

• 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

T/TL/TR 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

X 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Z(hex) 

• 

• 

• 

• 

O 

• 

• 

CHARACTER SET 








Lowercase 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Nonstandard characters 

%_ 

#&\" 

"_&<>! 

ASCII 

None 

None 

None 

NONSTANDARD FUNCTIONS 








Bit manipulation 

o 

• 

• 

• 

•O 

• 

O 

Complex* 16 operators 

O 

O 

• 

• 

O 

• 

• 

Date/time 

O 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Asm* 

Asm* 

DOS interface 

O 

• 

• 

o 

• 

O 

• 

RAM operators 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

O 

O 

Random numbers 

O 

• 

• 

O 

• 

O 

O 

Chaining 

O 

• 

• 

o 

DOS / 

O 

O 

String operators 

O 

• 

• 

o 

o 

O 

o 


• = Yes O = No a Does not support special FORTRAN-66 constructs. 

h Utah FORTRAN does not support FORTRAN-77. 
c Stored in six-byte binary-coded-decimal format. 
d Not supported. 

e Must use assembly language to access date and time; calling routines are provided, 
f Pro FORTRAN-77 allows access to most DOS commands, including chaining. 


All of these compilers except Ellis’s Utah FORTRAN implement the complete ANSI FORTRAN-77 language standard, not a 
subset. Users, therefore, are free to consider the finer points in an implementation when choosing a compiler. 


JUNE 1987 


97 








FORTRAN 


TABLE 3*. Documentation Quality 



DRI 

ELLIS 

LAHEY 

MICROSOFT 

PROSPERO 

RM 

WATCOM 

PRODUCT 

FORTRAN-77 

Utah 

F77L 

FORTRAN 

Pro 

RM/ 

WATFOR-77 



FORTRAN 



FORTRAN-77 

FORTRAN 


PROGRAM PACKAGE 








Number of disks 

2 

1 

2 

7 

3 

3 

3 

Packing list 

O 

O 

O 

On disk 

• 

O 

• 

Disk file inventory 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

File description 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Sample programs 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Quick reference card 

• 

o 

O 

• 

O 

• 

• 

Index tabs 

• 

O 

• 

• 

• 

• 

O 

Tech, support number 

0a 

O 

• 

• 

o 

• 

• 

MANUAL ORGANIZATION 








Table of contents 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Functional index 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Language section 








FORTRAN concepts 

• 

O 

O 

O 

• 

• 

O 

Operations section 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

INSTALLATION 








Installation guide 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

o 

Auto installation 

o 

o 

• 

• 

O 

O 

o 

RAM disk procedure 

o 

O 

o 

• 

o 

O 

o 

Copy protection 

o 

o 

o 

O 

o 

O 

• 

OPERATIONS EXPLAINED 








Compile options 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Compiler limits 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Compiler error list 

On disk 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Link options 

• 

o 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Linker limits 

0 

o 

o 

• 

o 

o 

• 

Link error list 

• 

O 

o 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Execution options 

o 

• 

o 

O 

O 

• 

o 

Execution error list 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Memory models 

• 

O 

• 

• 

• 

O 

O 

Memory layout 

• 

o 

• 

• 

• 

O 

• 

LANGUAGE SPECIFICATIONS 








Revision notice 

• 

O 

• 

• 

• 

O 

• 

FORTRAN-77 extensions 

• 

O 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Internal data format 

• 

• 

o 

O 

• 

• 

• 

LICENSE AGREEMENT 








Runtime distribution 

o 

o 

o 

o 

• 

• 

Site 6 

Without permission 

• 

• 

• 

• 

_c 

_ c 

O 

Without royalty 

• 

• 

• 

• 

_ c 

_c 

• 

Without copyright notice 

o 

o 

• 

O 

_ c 

_c 

o 


• = Yes O = No a Technical support beyond warranty for a fee. 

b Available to site-licensed users only. 
c Runtime distribution not permitted wider any condition. 


Each vendor attempts to identify its extensions to FORTRAN-77, but the extent to which this is achieved is sporadic. Microsoft’s 
approach is a successful one—its documentation identifies all extensions to the standard language with a different color type. 


method of requiring explicit declaration 
of variables to aid in the detection of 
misspelled variable names. (This con¬ 
struct is one that could be included in 
the ANSI FORTRAN-8x standard.) 

Type declarations for variables are 
defined in FORTRAN-77, but data type 
lengths are not. For example, REAL is a 
legal statement in FORTRAN-77, 
whereas REAL*4 is an extension that is 


recognized by most FORTRAN compil¬ 
ers. FORTRAN-77 requires a common 
but unspecified length for both REAL 
and INTEGER data types. If the default 
length of a REAL variable is four bytes, 
the default length of an INTEGER vari¬ 
able also must be four bytes. 

An overview of the compiler docu¬ 
mentation is provided in table 3. The 
volume of documentation included in 


these packages ranges from a single 
soft-cover booklet (Ellis Utah FORTRAN) 
to three full-size instruction manuals 
(Microsoft FORTRAN); however, quan¬ 
tity and quality are not always corre¬ 
lated. For example, Prospero bundles 
its half-filled Pro FORTRAN-77 binder 
with a foam insert to keep it from col¬ 
lapsing, but the material is lucid and 
comprehensive in spite of its brevity. 


PC TECH JOURNAL 












WHY LOGITECH MODULA-2 
IS MORE POWERFUL 


THAN PASCAL ORC 




APPRENTICE 
PACKAGE 


WIZARDS’ 

PACKAGE 


Separate Compilation 
w/inter-module typechecking 
Native Code Generation 
Large Memory Model Support 
Most Powerful Runtime Debugger 
Comprehensive Module Library 
Maintainability 
Translator from Turbo and 
ANSI Pascal 

WIN A FREE TRIP TO 

Switzerland 


HOMELAND OF MODULA-2 

Return your Modula-2 Registration Card or 
a reasonable facsimile* postmarked between 
March 1,1987 and May 31,1987 to be included 
in a once-only drawing! 

Grand Prize: One week excursion for 2 in 
Zurich, Switzerland including a guided tour of 
ETH, the University where Modula-2 was 
created by Niklaus Wirth. European custom¬ 
ers may substitute a trip to Silicon Valley, 
California. 

Second and Third Prizes: LOGITECH C7 
Mouse or LOGITECH Bus Mouse with Paint 
& Draw software—a $219 value, absolutely 
free! 

♦Write to Logitech, Inc. for a registration card 
facsimile. 


APPRENTICE PACKAGE $99 

Everything you need to begin producing reliable 
maintainable Modula-2 code. Includes the Compiler 
with 8087 support, integrated Editor, Linker, and 
BCD Module. We’re also including FREE our Turbo 
Pascal to Modula-2 Translator! 




WIZARDS’ PACKAGE $199 

This package contains our Plus Compiler—for 
professional programmers or for those who just want 
the best. The Plus Compiler with Integrated Editor 
requires 512K and takes advantage of the larger 
memory to increase compilation speed by 50%. Our 
Turbo Pascal to Modula-2 Translator is also includ¬ 
ed at no extra charge. 


11! 


MAGIC TOOLKIT $99 

We’ve put our most powerful development tools 
into one amazing Toolkit for use with either the 
Apprentice or Wizards’ packages. Highlighted by our 
Runtime Debugger, the finest debugging tool avail¬ 
able anywhere, the Toolkit also includes our Post 
Mortem Debugger, Disassembler, Cross Reference 
utility and Version which keeps track of different 
versions of one program. Our MAKE Utility figures 
out module dependencies and automatically selects 
those affected by code changes to hiinimize recom¬ 
pilation and relinking. We also provide source code 
of our major library modules for you to customize— 
or just play with. 

WINDOW PACKAGE $49 

Now you can build true windowing into your 
Modula-2 code. Features virtual screens, color sup¬ 
port, overlapping windows and a variety of borders. 

ROM PACKAGE AND CROSS 
RUN TIME DEBUGGER $299 

For those who want to produce rommable code. 
You can even debug code running in ROM from 
your PC. 

Turbo Pascal is a registered trademark of Borland International. 
CIRCLE NO. 229 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Call for information about our 
VAX/VMS version, Site License, University 
Discounts, Dealer & Distributor pricing. 

To place an order call 
toll-free: 

800 - 231-7717 

In California: 

800 - 552-8885 

\7T7 dt * want t ^ ie spellbinding power 
itLol of LOGITECH Modula-2! 

$99 
$199 
$99 
$49 
$299 

Add $6.50 for shipping and handling. Calif, residents 
add applicable sales tax. Prices valid in U.S. only. 


□ Apprentice Package 

□ Wizards’ Package 

□ Magic Toolkit 

□ Window Package 

□ ROM Pkg/Cross RTD 


Total Enclosed $_ 


□ VISA □ MasterCard □ Check Enclosed 


Card Number 


Expiration Date 


Signature 


SC Name 

* 

m _ 


Address 


State 


Phone 


LOGITECH 

|f LOGITECH, Inc. 

•;£ 805 Veterans Blvd. Redwood City, CA 94063 
|| Tel: 415-365-9852 

In Europe: 

LOGITECH SA, Switzerland 
1 % Tel: 41-21-879656 • Telex 458 217 Tech Ch 

£ In Italy: 

H Tel: 39-2-215-5622 

• • • • « 


• • • • • • • muni ♦ | amh AHHHi MM 













FORTRAN 

Essentially, each vendor has made 
an effort to identify its extensions to the 
ANSI FORTRAN-77 standard, but the ex¬ 
tent to which this is accomplished is 
sporadic. Microsoft’s approach seems to 
be the most successful—its documenta¬ 
tion identifies all extensions to the stan¬ 
dard language with a different color of 
type. In addition, Microsoft is joined by 
watcom in offering a stria FORTRAN-77 
language interpretation (no extensions) 
as a compiler option. 

License agreements also offer in¬ 
sight into software products. Several of 
these vendors unilaterally offer runtime 
distribution privileges for executable 
files created with their produa. In 
those cases where runtime distribution 
privileges may be granted, prior autho¬ 
rization in writing, royalty payments to 
the vendor, or disclosure of the ven¬ 
dor’s copyright notice in the runtime 
produa and its distribution diskette 
could be required. Table 3 indicates 
some of these license conditions. How¬ 
ever, users considering development of 
commercial applications using one of 
these FORTRAN compilers should do so 
only after reading the applicable license 
agreement in detail. 

SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE 

Rather than carrying out the customary 
timing benchmarks (Sieve of Eratos¬ 
thenes, Whetstone), the set used here 
was developed to evaluate specific areas 
of compiler performance. As any set of 
benchmarks is necessarily limited, some 
of the liabilities of this series are dis¬ 
cussed along the way. 

The first benchmark, MINIMUM.F77 
(listing 2), is simply an END statement. 
Although it seems an extremely trivial 
one, MINIMUM gives an indication of 
the overhead required to perform both 
a compilation and link with a minimum 
executable program size. This bench¬ 
mark represents the smallest legal pro¬ 
gram in FORTRAN-77. 

SYNTH1.F77 (listing 3) is an artifi¬ 
cial approximation of a typical, small 
FORTRAN program. It involves no loops 
or subprogram calls. Four REAL vari¬ 
ables are provided with initial values by 
means of a DATA statement. During 
program execution, a sequential set of 
20 statements is encountered. Each 
statement uses a simple arithmetic 
operator (+,-,*, or /) to define a new 
REAL variable on the basis of two pre¬ 
viously calculated values. At the end of 
the program, the results of the calcula¬ 
tion sequence are displayed. 

The third and fourth benchmarks, 
SYNTH2.F77 and SYNTH3.F77, are ex¬ 
tensions of the previous test (because 


these two programs are simply repeti¬ 
tions of SYNTH1, the actual code is not 
listed here). SYNTH2 contains 200 state¬ 
ments in the sequential series. SYNTH3, 
which contains 2,000 statements in the 
same series, is code- rather than data- 
intensive. Although the 2,007-line main 
routine is a poor example of program¬ 
ming style, technically it is permitted in 
FORTRAN-77. Indeed, such examples 
are encountered in actual practice. The 
SYNTH3 program contains 2,000 arith¬ 
metic statements, 2,004 REAL variables, 
and 230 arithmetic operations of each 
basic type (+,-,*, and /). 

ITERATE.F77 (listing 4) is also simi¬ 
lar to the previous benchmarks. Four 
REAL variables are defined and pro¬ 
vided initial values via a DATA state¬ 
ment. However, the sequence of the ba¬ 
sic four arithmetic operations is now 
placed in a nested DO loop and per- 

Nozr/y all of the compilers 
overlooked one error in list¬ 
ing 6—the uninitialized 
variable SUM appears on 
both sides of an expression. 


formed 1 million times. As shown in 
the listing, a double set of DO-loop in¬ 
dexes is used to avoid possible numeri¬ 
cal overflow if two-byte integer, DO- 
loop variables are used An auxiliary se¬ 
quence of the four additional arithmetic 
statements has been added to the itera¬ 
tion in order to redefine all variables 
within the loop. This was done to pre¬ 
vent an overly zealous optimizer from 
reducing the loop to a single-pass pro¬ 
cedure. The extra statements in the 
loop bring the total number of opera¬ 
tions to 8 million—2 million each of 
additions, subtractions, multiplications, 
and divisions. The cumulative results of 
the iteration are displayed in order to 
assure that the calculations have been 
performed correctly. 

The next benchmark, BIGARRAY 
(listing 3), contains a (200-by-200) 
40,000-element REAL array that is pro¬ 
vided with a set of initial conditions by 
a DATA statement. All elements are 
added up and the result displayed. The 
program is quite short, at only , 22 lines 
of source code; however, at four bytes 
per element, the 160KB array is signifi¬ 
cantly larger than the 64KB segment 
size limit of the PC. 


Listing 6, the BIGERROR.F77 
benchmark, is a replicate of BIGARRAY, 
identical in length and number of state¬ 
ments, but with several syntactic and 
grammatical errors introduced. It serves 
to evaluate compiler error-detection ca¬ 
pabilities. The listing can be considered 
in conjunction with the comments to 
BIGERROR, printed directly below the 
listing itself. These comments describe 
the type and location of the errors. 
Some of the errors are subtle and ordi¬ 
narily would be deteaed only during 
program execution, rather than during 
compilation or linking. Nearly all of 
these compilers overlooked the error in 
line 14, in which the uninitialized vari¬ 
able SUM appears on both the right- 
and left-hand sides of an expression. 

OPTIONS WEIGHED 

The machine used to compile, link, and 
execute the benchmarks was a Colum¬ 
bia Data Products MPC with a 4.77-MHz 
8088/8087, 640KB RAM, one double¬ 
sided/double-density diskette drive, and 
a 20MB hard-disk drive. The system was 
running DOS 3.2. The system configura¬ 
tion used was FILES=20, BUFFERS=15, 
and all operations were timed using 
DOS TIME. The individual benchmark 
results include a small overhead for the 
timing operation itself. However, they 
also encompass program loading and 
subsequent I/O from the hard-disk 
drive, which, during compilation and 
linking, tended to be busy. These per¬ 
formance figures represent typical com¬ 
pile, link, and execution times for the 
system described. Users with diskette- 
based or RAM-disk-based systems 
should expea disparate results. 

Separate 8087 and non-8087 exe¬ 
cutable files were generated, even in 
those cases where a compiler could 
produce executable files that detea the 
presence of the 8087 and use it (DRI 
and Microsoft). The non-8087 timings 
are included in table 4. Where small 
memory models or seleaive linking fea¬ 
tures were offered, these were used as 
well; large memory models were used 
only when necessary. No changes in the 
source code benchmarks were made 
except as mentioned in the text. 

Each of these compilers can be run 
in a number of ways. The Microsoft 
compiler, for example, offers three 
memory models, three floating-point 
math libraries, and two methods for in¬ 
cluding floating-point instructions. The 
sheer number of combinations pre¬ 
cludes listing compile, link, and execu¬ 
tion times for all configurations. 

Alternate math libraries were not 
used if avoidable. Their use naturally 


100 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




From the Forrest J Ackerman Imagi-Movie Archives 

We’re pleased to announce XRAY68K™ software, which allows advanced 
assembler or C-level 68020-target debugging from your PC, VAX or 
workstation. While you’re waiting for your target hardware availability, 
XRAY68K will fully simulate the 68020. After you have a living target, 
XRAY68K and an ICE* (in-circuit emulator) will let you find bugs that 
can only be found in real-time. 

Our quality and customer support have become the industry cross¬ 
development standard. What other company has the confidence to 
actually publish all fixes and ECOs for all products, for everyone 
to see? Whatever the host processor, whatever the target 
system, Microtec is committed to cross-development software. 
From pSOS to VBTX to MS-DOS to UNIX to VMS. From 
■ ■ mm mm ■ ^ ■ mm mm A. ■ assembler to C to Pascal to Fortran. From Motorola to 

^3 Ml Intel to Hitachi to Zilog. From IBM to DEC to HP to 
** ^ ™ Apollo to Sun. From crossassemblers to 

crosscompilers. From debuggers running on 
hosts that are simulating target systems to the 
advanced in-circuit emulators from HP, TEK, 
v a mmm mmmm tk ■ ■■ wm Atron, Applied, Sophia, ZAX and 

SUTIDN RpEOUfE Taiwan’s Microtek. Call Microtec 
m^ma uwmum mrnmmu today at (800)551-5554 or 

(408)733- 2919 in California. So 
you don’t create a monster 
tomorrow. 


YOUR PC, VAX OR 


YOU EVEN HAVE A 


68020 TARGET SYSTEM i RESEARCH 


3930 Freedom Circle • Santa Clara, CA 95054 • 800-551-5554 or 408-733-2919 in California 

*ICE™ Intel. XRAY68K is a trademark and Microtec is a registered trademark of Microtec Research, Inc. © 1987 by Microtec. The other companies mentioned 
own numerous registered trademarks. Adv. by TRBA 


CIRCLE NO. 210 ON READER SERVICE CARD 




FORTRAN 


TABLE 4: Performance Benchmarks 



DRI 

ELLIS 

LAHEY 

MICROSOFT 

PROSPERO 

RM 

WATCOM 

PRODUCT 

FORTRAN-77 

Utah 

FORTRAN 

F77L 

FORTRAN 

Pro 

FORTRAN-77 

RM/ 

FORTRAN 

WATFOR-77 

MINIMUM (1 line) 
Compiled size 

Linked size 

Compile time 

Link time 

198 

34,304 

0:00:09 

0:00:58 

128 

21,632 

0:00:05 

0:00:04 

322 

12,749 

0:00:07 

0:00:17 

250 

2,606 

0:00:07 

0:00:10 

272 

7,680 

0:00:04 

0:00:33 

268 

14,976 

0:00:07 

0:00:22 

_ a 

62,480 

_ a 

0:00:10 

Runtime 

Without 8087 

0:00:01 

0:00:01 

_ b 

0:00:01 

0:00:01 

0:00:01 

0:00:02 

With 8087 

0:00:01 

_c 

0:00:01 

0:00:01 

0:00:01 

0:00:01 

0:00:02 

SYNTH1 (27 lines) 
Compiled size 

1,667 

640 

822 

1,190 

1,443 

866 

_ a 

Linked size 

51,072 

22,144 

24,175 

28,150 

13,568 

39,008 

63,248 

Compile time 

0:00:12 

0:00:09 

0:00:09 

0:00:29 

0:00:13 

0:00:18 

_ a 

Link time 

0:01:19 

0:00:04 

0:00:24 

0:00:26 

0:00:54 

0:00:47 

0:00:11 

Runtime 

Without 8087 

0:00:02 

0:00:01 

_ b 

0:00:02 

0:00:01 

0:00:02 

0:00:02 

With 8087 

0:00:02 

_ C 

0:00:03 

0:00:00 

0:00:01 

0:00:01 

0:00:02 

SYNTH2 (207 lines) 
Compiled size 

12,168 

4,736 

3,477 

7,791 

9,752 

2,860 

_ a 

Linked size 

55,296 

26,240 

26,751 

30,838 

17,408 

41,712 

68,288 

Compile time 

0:00:36 

0:01:01 

0:00:29 

0:01:30 

0:01:07 

0:01:38 

_ a 

Link time 

0:01:26 

0:00:06 

0:00:26 

0:00:28 

0:01:04 

0:00:47 

0:00:21 

Runtime 

Without 8087 

0:00:04 

0:00:03 

_ b 

0:00:02 

0:00:01 

0:00:02 

0:00:02 

With 8087 

0:00:02 

_ c 

0:00:03 

0:00:02 

0:00:01 

0:00:01 

0:00:02 

SYNTH3 (2,007 lines) 
Compiled size 

Error d 

Error d 

30,386 

86,007 

Error d 

Error d 

Error d 

Linked size 

— 

— 

52,847 

61,862 

— 

— 

— 

Compile time 

— 

— 

0:10:23 

0:11:50 

— 

— 

— 

Link time 

— 

— 

0:00:33 

0:00:49 

— 

— 

— 


would result in faster execution times 
for some of the problems presented. In 
this article and its accompanying table, 
a non-8087 library was listed as 8087 
emulation or alternate math, based on 
the vendors documentation. If the li¬ 
brary type was not identified, the table 
entry was based on the results of a set 
of deeply nested intrinsic function cal¬ 
culations. If the result of the 8087 and 
non-8087 calculations were in reason¬ 
able agreement, the non-8087 library 
was declared to be an 8087 emulation. 
Digital Research, Inc. DRI’s FORTRAN-77 
is a complete implementation of the 
ANSI standard (as it was when reviewed 
in the previous article). The compiler 
supports a number of options, includ¬ 
ing free-held format source code, sub¬ 
script checking, and several memory 
configurations, and it is one of the eas¬ 
iest of these packages to use. Documen¬ 
tation for version 4.1 of this compiler 
states that DOS path names are sup¬ 
ported, but it was not possible to com¬ 
pile or link without all hies being resi¬ 
dent in the same subdirectory. In addi¬ 


tion, the FORTRAN cross-reference op¬ 
tion is claimed as available, but the fea¬ 
ture has not yet been implemented. 

The DRI user’s manual also indi¬ 
cates that its FORTRAN-77 can address 
1MB of combined code and data; how¬ 
ever, the product was unable to com¬ 
plete SYNTH3 and BIGARRAY, the two 
memory-intensive benchmark problems. 
For the former, the compiler processed 
several hundred lines of source code 
before expiring due to a nonspecihc 
“out of memory” error. For BIGARRAY, 
which employs a 160KB array, compila¬ 
tion was successfully completed, but the 
object module failed to link. The manu¬ 
al suggests that matrices of up to 63,533 
elements can be created. It further 
states that “You must compile programs 
that use arrays larger than 64KB with 
the large model and the -V [subscript 
check] option. Each large array must be 
in a separately named COMMON seg¬ 
ment, not in blank COMMON.” By mod¬ 
ifying BIGARRAY to accommodate the 
COMMON directive, the program was 
compiled and linked successfully, how¬ 


ever, it produced incorrect results when 
executed. Its calculated sum of the array 
elements (99,920) was somewhat less 
than it should have been (100,000). 

The default integer size used by 
this compiler is two bytes. This small 
data format can lead to numerical over¬ 
flow (refer back to the description of 
program ITERATE); moreover, it does 
not conform to the ANSI standard (in¬ 
teger and real data formats must be the 
same length). Fortunately, the implicit 
integer size can be changed by com¬ 
piler option and this was done for the 
benchmark calculations. 

One of most noteworthy features 
of DRI FORTRAN-77 is the availability of 
extended precision INTEGER, REAL, and 
COMPLEX data formats. Although sup¬ 
port of these formats is quite limited 
(for example, very few extended-pre¬ 
cision intrinsic functions are offered), 
DRI comes the closest to matching the 
80-bit format of the 8087. 

The package includes an overlay 
linker, but not a debugger: users must 
rely on IBM DEBUG. Although the 


102 


PC TECH JOURNAL 













DRI 

ELLIS 

LAHEY 

MICROSOFT 

PROSPERO 

RM 

WATCOM 

SYNTH3 (continued) 
Runtime 

Without 8087 



_ b 

0:00:05 




With 8087 

— 

— 

0:00:04 

0:00:02 

— 

— 

— 

ITERATE (23 lines) 
Compiled size 

1,308 

512 

737 

816 

1,013 

733 

_ a 

Linked size 

51,072 

22,016 

24,095 

28,006 

13,312 

38,864 

62,960 

Compile time 

0:00:12 

0:00:09 

0:00:09 

0:00:28 

0:00:10 

0:00:14 

_ a 

Link time 

0:01:18 

0:00:04 

0:00:25 

0:00:26 

0:00:54 

0:00:46 

0:00:10 

Runtime 

Without 8087 

18:46:33 

7:40:31 

_ b 

3:16:05 

0:48:49 

11:49:25 

0:58:11 

With 8087 

0:10:58 

_ c 

0:08:44 

0:06:25 

0:09:12 

0:07:46 

0:21:06 

BIGARRAY (22 lines) 
Compiled size 

Error d 

Error d 

791 

857 

1,030 

161,875 

_ a 

Linked size 

— 

— 

184,399 

187,974 

14,336 

198,848 

222,832 

Compile time 

— 

— 

0:00:08 

0:00:23 

0:00:10 

0:28:10 

_ a 

Link time 

— 

— 

0:01:00 

0:01:03 

0:00:57 

0:01:14 

0:00:13 

Runtime 

Without 8087 



_ b 

0:01:06 

0:01:00 

0:03:16 

0:01:04 

With 8087 

— 

— 

Error d 

0:00:08 

0:00:44 

0:00:08 

0:00:52 

BIGERROR (22 lines) (Number of errors detected) 
Compilation 6 9 

10 

12 

11 

8 

8 

Execution 

2 

0 

1 

1 

1 

0 

6 

Passes required 

6 

4 

4 

5 

5 

3 

10 

Errors undetected 

6 

5 

3 

1 

2 

6 

0 

Error numbers e 

1,3,4 

10,14,16 

1,10,14 

14 

14,17 

3,4,14 

None 


14,17,20 

17,20 




15,16,17 



All files sizes are in bytes. a Single-step compile and link only. d Product unable to complete benchmark. 

All times are in bours:?ninutes:seconds. b F77L requires the 8087 coprocessor. See text regarding individual compilers. 

c Utah FORTRAN does not support the 8087 coprocessor. e See program listing. 


Most of these products had trouble compiling the SYNTH3 benchmark—a code-intensive, 2,007-line extension of SYNTH 1. 


linker is somewhat sluggish compared 
with the others, it does support a run¬ 
time option of using the 8087. 

Ellis Computing, Inc. At $39 95, Ellis’s 
Utah FORTRAN is the lowest-priced 
compiler in the field, but it does not 
conform to ANSI FORTRAN-77 guide¬ 
lines. The vendor states that the com¬ 
piler is “both a subset and a superset of 
the ANSI-66 standard.” More precisely, 
Utah FORTRAN is a subset of the older 
FORTRAN-66 standard with several ex¬ 
tensions added. The extensions include 
the IF.. .THEN.. .ELSE construct from 
the more recent FORTRAN-77 standard. 

Utah FORTRAN features a global 
program-tracing facility, access to abso¬ 
lute memory locations (PEEK and 
POKE), bit manipulation, memory-to- 
memory I/O operations (ENCODE and 
DECODE), and the ability to chain a se¬ 
ries of programs. This compiler retains 
sufficient similarity to the modern 
FORTRAN language to compile and exe¬ 
cute the four smaller benchmark pro¬ 
grams. However, it was necessary to 
modify WRITE statements in each 


benchmark program to compile them 
successfully; that is, a WRITE statement 
of the form WRITE(*,1000) had to be 
changed to WRITE( 1,1000). 

In another departure from the 
ground rules, a source code OPTION 
statement had to be employed to in¬ 
crease the compiler symbol table size 
from its default value of 200. This 
change was adequate to successfully 
compile the SYNTH2 benchmark, but 
not SYNTH3. Utah FORTRAN also was 
unable to compile BIGARRAY, with its 
160KB array, due to its 32KB limit on 
such constructs; however, the manual 
offers suggestions to get around this 
limit (by putting smaller arrays adjacent 
to each other in COMMON). 

A startling deviation from the other 
compilers is Utah’s storage of all REAL, 
INTEGER, and DOUBLE PRECISION 
variables as six-byte, binary-coded-deci¬ 
mal numbers. This practice allows high- 
precision level for fiscal calculations, 
but does not consider the more con¬ 
ventional distinction between INTEGER 
and REAL numbers permitted by 


FORTRAN. Statement functions, and the 
EXTERNAL and EQUIVALENCE state¬ 
ments, also are missing. 

During compilation and execution, 
Utah FORTRAN functions much like an 
intermediate code interpreter. The ob¬ 
ject files produced by the compiler are 
not linked, but executed directly by a 
runtime supervisor that supplies intrin¬ 
sic functions, subroutines, and other li¬ 
brary references. If stand-alone, execut¬ 
able code is desired, another vendor- 
supplied utility is invoked that binds the 
compiled program with the runtime li¬ 
brary. The result is an executable file 
that “cannot be renamed and must exist 
in the directory where the program 
[was created].” The bottom line on Utah 
FORTRAN is that, for simple programs, 
it does work and work quite well. It 
may be a good deal for the money. 
Lahey Computer Systems, Inc. A strong 
contender in the previous review, Lahey 
continues to offer a solid product in its 
F77L compiler. The package includes 
the compiler, an 8087 library, and a de¬ 
bugging utility called Source On-Line 


JUNE 1987 


103 










FORTRAN 

Debugger (SOLD). The debugger allows 
the programmer to view his source 
code, monitor program execution, and 
examine, modify, and trace the value of 
variables. SOLD does not require re¬ 
compiling or relinking because it inter¬ 
faces with the production-compiled pro¬ 
grams. A linker is not provided with 
F77L, but DOS LINK version 2.4 was 
used with no problem. This is the only 
compiler that requires an 8087 or 80287 
to be present for both compilation and 
execution. In addition, Lahey has made 
a couple of interesting departures from 
the standard language for the user’s 
benefit. First, F77L provides the 
IMPLICIT NONE construct mentioned 
earlier, and second, in-line comments 
and NAMELIST I/O are supported. 

The Lahey license agreement is ex¬ 
ceptionally fair and reasonable. The 
agreement states that executable files, 
including library modules, are not sub¬ 
ject to usage or transfer restrictions, that 
no additional costs are associated with 
distributing runtime files, and that files 
need not include the Lahey copyright 
notice. It is the most liberal license 
agreement of those reviewed. The tech¬ 
nical support telephone number, an 
electronic bulletin board, a users’ news¬ 
letter, and an included mailer for prob¬ 
lem diskettes attest to Lahey’s leader¬ 
ship in the area of user support. 

The performance of F77L in the 
benchmarks was quite good overall, but 
its error-detection capabilities are only 
average. The compiler actually ran all of 
the benchmarks, but produced an in¬ 
correct result for BIGARRAY. In order 
to properly assess the F77L compiler, 
the array size in BIGARRAY was re¬ 
duced to 100 by 100. This smaller pro¬ 
gram did compile and execute prop¬ 
erly. The errors in BIGERROR then 
were introduced into this smaller pro¬ 
gram. The compilation of the modified 
BIGERROR benchmark missed two sub¬ 
tle errors: the multiple program names 
and the missing initial value of SUM. 

F77L’s problem with BIGARRAY 
seemed to be the DATA statement in 
line 10 of that program. The Lahey doc¬ 
umentation states that the repeat count 
in a DATA initialization statement must 
not exceed 16,383. Although the indi¬ 
vidual repeat counts did not exceed this 
limit, the total for the DATA statement 
did. By reducing the repeat count be¬ 
low this limit (but greater than the stor¬ 
age size available in array) the state¬ 
ment was able to compile without er¬ 
ror, but produced incorrect results. It 
likewise compiled without error and 
produced incorrect results when the to¬ 
tal repeat count was greater than 


16,383, and the nunjber of initial values 
was equal to the number of elements to 
be initialized. Evidendy, the compiler 
cannot reliably process DATA state¬ 
ments that have a total repeat count 
greater than 16,383. The repeat count 
limit is a minor matter; the compiler’s 
inability to determine when that limit is 
exceeded can lead to erroneous execu¬ 
tion of compiled programs. 

Microsoft Corporation. The sheer volume 
of material that comes with the Micro¬ 
soft FORTRAN package (three binders 
and seven diskettes) can be overwhelm¬ 
ing, and the 312KB RAM requirement 
puts this compiler in a league by itself. 
But this product has been improved 
radically since version 3-3 (reviewed in 
October 1985) to the current 4.0. 

Perhaps the biggest change is that 
Microsoft FORTRAN now complies with 
the ANSI FORTRAN-77 full language 
standard rather than the subset! This 
move required significant changes to 
the compiler, including the addition of 

NLicrosoft FORTRAN now 
complies with the full lan¬ 
guage standard. This cur¬ 
rent implementation does 
almost everything well. 


several new intrinsic functions. As a typ¬ 
ical example, the maximum length of a 
CHARACTER variable has been in¬ 
creased from 127 to 32,767 bytes. Some 
previously included features, such as 
the decimal math library, have been re¬ 
moved. A noteworthy addition is Micro¬ 
soft’s sOurce-code and assembly-lan¬ 
guage-level debugger, CodeView (re¬ 
viewed in “Multilevel Debugger,” Mark 
S. Ackerman, March, 1987, p. 90). 

This compiler is not for the casual 
user. Installation is complicated and in¬ 
vites user errors, particularly when used 
a dual-diskette system. Microsoft 
FORTRAN offers three memory models 
(medium, large, and huge), three float¬ 
ing-point math libraries (8087, 8087 
emulator, and alternate math), and two 
methods of using floating-point instruc¬ 
tions (in-line instructions or calls to the 
floating-point library routines). Al¬ 
though not all possible combinations of 
these compiler options are meaningful, 
the list does indicate the considerable 
number of choices available and that 
some thought must precede invoking 


the compiler. Along the same line, the 
auto-installation procedures that are in¬ 
cluded in the set-up disk appear to be a 
matter of necessity rather than one of 
convenience. 

This implementation of FORTRAN 
seems to do almost everything well. Its 
shortcomings are minor—the lack of a 
cross-reference option, for example, 
and the fact that compiler directives are 
case-sensitive. The product’s new fea¬ 
tures, such as the previously mentioned 
highlighting of the extensions to ANSI 
FORTRAN-77 in the documentation, 
seem to offset its imperfections. The 
compiler also now includes an option 
to make it function in strict compliance 
to the ANSI standard (with no exten¬ 
sions). Microsoft FORTRAN 4.0 is certi¬ 
fied by the U.S. General Services Ad¬ 
ministration (GSA) to be in full com¬ 
pliance with the FORTRAN-77 standard. 

Finally, this compiler was the only 
one that successfully ran all of the 
benchmark problems. Aside from a mi¬ 
nor problem with the SYNTH3—a mes¬ 
sage stating “function too large for post¬ 
optimizer”—this program and the oth¬ 
ers executed correctly. It also posted 
some of the best execution times for 
8087 configuration. This version of 
Microsoft FORTRAN is certainly vastly 
improved over its previous incarnation. 
Prospero Software. Pro FORTRAN-77 is a 
British import Its documentation is 
clear and compact, and the disk files 
are supplied with a checksum to verify 
the integrity of the files: the compiler 
checksums itself when invoked, and a 
utility to check other files in the system 
is supplied. The package consists of the 
compiler, libraries, a linker, a librarian 
program, a compiler configuration util¬ 
ity, and a symbolic debugger. The com¬ 
piler is of a two-pass design, with 14 
compile-time options to govern the pro¬ 
duction of additional outputs, the level 
of checking incorporated into the target 
machine, and memory model used. A 
configuration utility permits the defini¬ 
tion of the default for each option. In 
an interesting twist, Prospero provides a 
source-code cross-reference utility as a 
stand-alone sample program on diskette 
rather than as a compiler option. 

Both 8087 and non-8087 runtime 
libraries are provided. Although IEEE 
standard floating-point formats are used 
in both libraries, the non-8087 versions 
turned in significantly less accurate re¬ 
sults that the 8087 version. This is the 
reason the non-8087 library is classified 
as alternate math in table 1. 

The Prospero linker has an option 
to use only those runtime library rou¬ 
tines that are actually required by the 


104 


PC TECH JOURNAL 



Clarify and document your source listing and get 
an “organization chart” of your program’s structure 

with two NEW utilities from Aldebaran Laboratories, for C, BASIC, 
Pascal, dBASE,® Fortran and Modula-2 programmers. 


“Occasionally, a utility 
comes along that makes a 
programmer’s life much 
easier. SOURCE PRINT 
is such a program. 

It contributes to the 
programmer’s job by 
organizing code into a 
legible format and by 
helping to organize the 
documentation and 
debugging process.” 

— PC Magazine 
Sept. 16,1986 


Source Print and Tree Dia- I 
grammer both have easy-to-use 
menus with point-and-shoot file 
selection, and let you search for 
files containing a given string. 

For IBM PC and compatibles 
with 256K. 

Join thousands of program¬ 
mers who are working more 
efficiently using Source Print 
and Tree Diagrammer. Order 
these indispensable tools today. 

We ship immediately, and 
there’s no risk with our 60-day 
money-back guarantee. Order 
both and save. Only $125.00. 

800-257-5773 Dept. 36 

In California: 

800-257-5774 Dept. 36 

MasterCard,. VISA, American 
Express, COD. Add $5 for 
shipping/handling. 

or see your local dealer! 


Source Print and Tree Diagrammer are 
trademarks of Aldebaran Labs. dBASE is 
a trademark of Ashton Tate. Prices subject 
to change without notice. 


Source Print™ 

organizes your source code, simpli¬ 
fies debugging, and makes documen¬ 
tation a snap! It lists one or more 
source files with informative page 

headings and op- _ 

tional line numbers, <> 

while offering I i pf 11 <lor * nroa 

invaluable features: ■ ; ri.«™.r 




160 IP TB(IHDX) s 0 THEN X = 5 

170 C = 50: WHILE K <= 1000: TB(K) = 0: K = K ♦ 

180 OOSUB 2000 

190 XT(C) s X: T2(C) = K: C : C ♦ 1 
200 NEXT INDX , 

J150 —FOB INDX = 1 TO 100 

■ 160 IF TB(INDX) : 0 1 

■ 170 C = 50 

,—kbilk k 1000 

tb(K> o 

ifnrii H K = K ♦ X 


The Index Ij -- 

(Cross-Reference 1 12 j_I—I lj'^ii 1 id^tifiers 22 ‘ 03 INDEX ,Cr ° 8B Rel 

list) saves you time | il |_Lr* : I lnre cord 4 .m i 9 . 825 

by showing exactly I 22 922 22,953 

where variables are I fKSS 131111 

used and where functions, pro- 00 I 54 2354 54,2364 54,2365 

cedures, and routines arecalled. H ,/ v I lntext AAll* £38* 43,1796 

Locations where new 

j,,.*,.. —- values may be assigned to 

^.c v.i„, v.u,«». v.n variables are shown, making it easy to track down that 

^ < °«^3l-oi/o i/•«-1 mysterious value change. 

bwSP"! “ T tB,,rd * Structure Outlining solves the problem of hard-to- 

Sirfsig* see nested control structures by automatically drawing 

lines around them. 

2 Automatic Indentation of source code and listings 

s-r reduces your editing time and ensures indentation accuracy. 
Plus... Source Print generates a table of contents 
‘isr listing functions and procedures. Keywords can be printed 
in boldface on most printers. Multi-statement BASIC lines 
pi«dBASE can s P^ t f 01 readability. Functions and procedures can 

be dr$wn by name from one or more source files to form a 
new file. 

Tree Diagrammer™ -— 

shows your program’s overall organization at a ' T SALts ' c ,0 1 

glance. Ordinary program listings merely display d- sxLts e - 

functions, procedures, and subroutines sequen- WUb ««- e * 

tially, but do not display the relationships be- 

tween these routines. Our revolutionary new - pr.s-w c - „„ 

Tree Diagrammer automatically creates an sfcL - c - - - 

“organization chart” of your program showing the v.- 

hierarchy of calls to functions, procedures, and <ronu ” r ^- n- 

subroutines. Recursive calls are indicated and L ^ UMe „ 

designated comments in the source code T” ^ ” 

will appear on the chart. - d 

Tree Diagrammer helps you organize your ^ » 

program more logically. And you’ll be amazed at _ _ 

how easy it is to debug when you djrPOO 
see how your routines interact. u)i30 



L UU UIUU4UUI. 

$ 55 ' 


Aldebaran Laboratories 3339 Vincent Rd. Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 415-930-8966 

YES! Rush Hie □ Source Print @ $75-:- □ Tree Diagrammer @ $55- 

□ Both $125. Ship/Handling $5. For CA add 6% tax -Total- 

Name-:- 

Company ... 

Address_—- 

City_State_Zip_ 

□ Check enclosed □ VISA □ MasterCard □ American Express 

Card #_Exp. Date- 

Signature--Phone #- 









FORTRAN 


object file. As a result, the executable 
code produced is very compact. It 
should be noted, however, that Pro 
FORTRAN-77 may use unorthodox tech¬ 
niques to achieve compact executable 
files. An examination of the linked file 
size for the benchmark BIGARRAY sug¬ 
gests that data initialization has been 
deferred from load time to execution; 
that is, it appears that a data initializa¬ 
tion loop has been substituted for the 
DATA statement. An overlay option for 
the linker is also available, and no 
source code modification is required 
for its use. The symbolic debugger uses 
information optionally generated by the 
compiler in order to allow the user to 
monitor program execution. 

Pro FORTRAN-77 is an update of 
the company’s previous offering, Pro 
FORTRAN-66. This newer version pro¬ 
duces very fast executable code for the 
non-8087 configuration. Pro FORTRAN- 
77 was, however, unable to compile 
SYNTH3. The reported error, at line 
1403, was “Compiler stack size insuffi¬ 
cient.” For users tempted to tinker with 
the compiler so that it will handle larg¬ 
er source code files, a review of the li¬ 
cense agreement certainly is in order. It 
states that “The User is warned that the 
Software may include a mechanism 
which will destroy its logic if an attempt 


is made to tamper with it and the Licen¬ 
sor accepts no responsibility if such a 
mechanism is activated.” Although the 
copyright and indemnity sections are 
similar, it appears that checksum provi¬ 
sions were inadvertently left off of the 
license agreement. 

Ryan-McFarland Corporation. RM/FORTRAN 
is written by Ryan-McFarland Corpora¬ 
tion and is currendy being sold by that 
company’s distributors as well as by 
IBM Corporation. The IBM version, IBM 
PC Professional FORTRAN 1.0, was re¬ 
viewed in October 1985. That product 
was actually RM/FORTRAN version 1.1 
under the IBM label. The current ver¬ 
sion (4.1) is reviewed here. 

RM/FORTRAN continues to be a rel¬ 
atively conservative implementation of 
the full language standard. Revisions 
since the previous review include the 
addition of a non-8087 library and a 
COMPLEX* 16 data type. The compiler 
supports extensive compiler optimiza¬ 
tion, error diagnostics, and interactive 
debugging facilities. It is packaged with 
the Phoenix Software Associates Plink86 
overlay linker and PLIB86 object file 
manager, and includes a compression 
utility for executable files. It includes an 
option to produce a source-code cross- 
reference listing and 80186/286-specific 
code. RM/FORTRAN was the first micro- 



is at hand 


HELP/Control™ —an on-line help system for the IBM-PC. HELP/Control includes HELP/Runtime, 
HELP/Popup and our help screen compiler. 

With HELP/Runtime, a few simple subroutine calls add context sensitive on-line help to your 
application. HELP/Runtime includes tested interfaces for C (Microsoft and Lattice), Pascal 
(Microsoft and Turbo), IBM BASIC (Interpreter and Compiler), Microsoft FORTRAN, COBOL (IBM and 
Realia) and assembler. 

Use our concise screen definition language to build your help files. You define the bold captions on 
your help screens and specify the links to other screens. If you have existing documentation files, we 
supply a program which automatically marks them up to get on-line quickly. You can put an entire 
user or reference manual on-line, completely accessible to the user at all times. 

HELP/Control also includes HELP/Popup, which provides memory resident access to your custom 
help screens. Use it to document dBase and 123 applications. HELP/Popup uses the same help files 
as HELP/Runtime and operates the same from the user's point of view, allowing you to provide a 
consistent on-line environment across diverse applications. 

The complete package (software, on-line manual, printed manual, and demo programs) costs 
$125.00 and includes a royalty-free license to add HELP/Runtime to your applications and a license 
to make 25 copies of HELP/Popup. A demonstration diskette, including the on-line manual, costs 
$15.00. To order, or for more information (including dealer, multiple-copy and site-license pricing) 
call MDS at 207/772-5436. We accept MasterCard and VISA. 


New options with release 1.20: 

• Use Dan Bricklin's Demo Program to build your help system. Ourtranslatortumsitinto a 
HELP/Control source file. 


• Include graphics in your help screens. 

• Mouse support. y 'sA/A*** 



MDS, INC., P.O. BOX 1237, PORTLAND, MAINE 04104 


computer FORTRAN-77 compiler to be 
certified by the GSA. 

This compiler’s performance in the 
benchmarks was average. Its execution 
times for the smaller programs were 
relatively fast, but like most of the other 
compilers, it was unable to handle 
SYNTH3. Perhaps the only noteworthy 
exception to an otherwise adequate 
performance for RM/FORTRAN was an 
astounding 28 minutes to compile 22 
lines of code in the BIGARRAY prob¬ 
lem. The compiler obviously was strug¬ 
gling with the DATA statement, which 
(as mentioned previously) technically 
could be replaced with several DO 
loops or other language constructs. In 
this particular case, however, patience 

R M/FORTRAN’s extensions 
to the standard facilitate 
program transfer to other 
computers. It is thus a leader 
in the area of portability. 


was rewarded. The program was com¬ 
piled successfully and it went on to turn 
in the fastest 8087 execution time for 
the problem (a record it shared with 
Microsoft FORTRAN). 

Finally, the product’s manual 
includes many comparisons between 
RM/FORTRAN and some mainframe 
FORTRAN compilers. Extensions to the 
FORTRAN-77 standard have been in¬ 
cluded to facilitate program transfer 
from other computers. RM/FORTRAN 
should be a serious consideration for 
users concerned with portability. 
watcom Products, Inc. WATFOR-77 is 
based on the WATFOR and WATFIV 
mainframe FORTRAN compilers from 
the University of Waterloo in Ontario, 
Canada. This family of compilers enjoys 
a widespread reputation for its excel¬ 
lent user interface and error diagnos¬ 
tics. WATFOR-77 also offers a number 
of program structure control elements, 
such as the SELECT and END SELECT 
statements, that are expected to be part 
of the FORTRAN-8x standard. For those 
interested in following the evolving 
FORTRAN language, this compiler is 
clearly the number one choice. 

With the package, watcom supplies 
a general-purpose text editor, an intrin¬ 
sic linker, and runtime debugger. The 
watcom Graphics Kernel System (GKS), 
a package that provides software for 


106 


CIRCLE NO. ISO ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




PRESENTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 
FAST COMPILING AND FAST PROGRAMMING. 


For compiling speed, 
you can't do better than 
Let’s C. But to really 
speed up programming 
you can’t do without the 
powerful source level 
debugger, csd. 

If you want the 
power, portability and flex¬ 
ibility of C, start with the 
complete compiler, Let’s C. 

For utilities, editor, compil¬ 
ing speed and fast, dense 
code, Let’s C has it all. 

But to get your pro¬ 
grams up and running you 
need more. Because even the fastest compiler 
can’t outrun bugs. You need the revolutionary C 
Source Debugger, csd. 

CUT DEVELOPMENT TIME IN HALF 
_ WITH cstf _ 

csd lets you bypass the time consuming frus¬ 
trations of debugging-like long dumps and clunky 
assembler. With csd, you actually debug in C. You leam 
faster because you watch your program run in C. You 
finish faster because csd combines the speed of a compiler 
with the interactive advantages of an interpreter. The end 
result? Development time is sliced in half. 



csd 


REVIEWERS ARE 
RAVING ABOUT 
LET’S C AND csd. 



LIMITED TIME 
OFFER 
FREE csd 
WITH LET’S C! 


LET’S C AND csd FEATURES 




Let’s C: 

• Now compiles twice as fast 

• Integrated edit-compile cycle: edi¬ 
tor automatically points 

to errors 

• Includes both small and large 
memory model 

• Integrated environment or 
command line interface 

• 8087 sensing and support 

• Documentation features new 
lexicon format 

• MS-DOS object compatible 

• New make utility 

• Fast compact code plus register 
variables 

• Full Kernighan & Ritchie C and 
extensions 

• Full UNIX compatibility and 
complete libraries 

• Many powerful utilities including 
make, assembler, archiver, cc one- 
step compiling, egrep, pr, tail, wc 

• MicroEMACS full screen editor 
with source included 

• Supported by dozens of third 
party libraries 


• For the IBM-PC and Compatibles 

• Not copy protected 

Sieve Benchmark 

(Compile time in seconds) 

Let’s C: 2.8 (On 512K 6Mhz IBM-AT) 

Turbo C: 3.89 (As advertised) 

csd: 

• Large and small memory model 

• Debug in C source code, not 
assembler 

• Monitor variables while 
tracing program 

• Does not change program speed 
or size 

• Provides separate source, eval¬ 
uation, program and history 
windows 

• On-line help screens 

• Can interactively evaluate any 
C expression 

• Can execute any C function in 
your program 

• Trace back function 

• Ability to set trace points 

• Not copy protected 


‘< 0 / 


“Let’s C is an inex¬ 
pensive, high-quality 
programming package... 
with all the tools you will 
need to create applications.” 
-William G. Wong, BYTE, 
August 1986. 

“The performance and 
documentation of the $75 
Let’s C compiler rival those 
of C compilers for the PC 
currently being sold for 
$500... highly recommended... ” 

-Marty Franz, PC TECHJOURNAL, August 1986. 

“csd is close to the ideal debugging environ¬ 
ment... a definite aid to learning C and an 
indispensable toolfor program development. ” 
-William G. Wong, LUTE, August 1986. 

“This is a powerful and sophisticated debugger built on a 
well-designed, ‘serious ’ compiler. ” 

-Jonathon Sachs, Micro/SystemsJournal, April, 1986 

START TO FINISH, THERE’S NO 
_ BETTER ENVIRONMENT. _ 

Get started with the right C compiler and you’ll have 
everything you need for development-including source 
level debugging. On top of it all, Let’s C and csd are today’s 
best values in professional C programming tools. And 
most reliable: Mark Williams C compilers have been sold 
with DEC, Intel and Wang computers since 1981. 

60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE 

Mark Williams gives you a full 60 days to find out just 
how good Let’s C and csd really are-or your money back. 

So if you want more than a fast compiler-if you want 
your programs up and running fast, ask for Let’s C and 
csd. You’ll find them at your software dealer’s, in the soft¬ 
ware department of your favorite bookstore, through the 
Express Program at over 5500 Radio Shacks or you can 
order now by calling 1-800-MWC-1700* 

*In Illinois call, 1-312 472 6659. 

Mark 
Williams 
Company 

1430 West Wrightwood, Chicago, Illinois 60614 

© 1987 Mark Williams Company 
Let’s C is a registered trademark of the Mark Williams Company. 

UNIX is a trademark of Bell Labs. 



MARK WILLIAMS LET’S C MDcsd.ONU $75 EACH. 


CIRCLE NO. 207 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

















FORTRAN 


^^Programmers& 
jS^lll Developers 

New 

m Products! 

Distribute Your Demos with 
No Royalties 

Screen Machine creates interactive demos, 
tutorials, menu systems and DOS shells. In¬ 
cludes a text screen editor that optionally 
generates source code* and binary or text 
files. Never write code for screen display 
again. Capture any program’s text screens for 
editing and your own use. Capture CGA com¬ 
patible graphics screens for BLQAD or direct 
display. SAVE hundreds of HOURS of work. 

Now there’s no need for separate screen and 
demo software packages and no need fo pay 
outrageous royalties. Priced at only $79.00. 

‘Turbo Pascal, Mach 2 for Turbo, Assembler, dBASE II & III, 
BASIC (including The Inside Track and Mach 2). 

Supercharge Turbo Pascal 

Mach 2 for Turbo Pascal adds assembler 
speed to yourprograms. 90 + subroutines, 
most in assembler, give you speed and func¬ 
tionality you never knew was possible. No 
knowledge of assembler language required. 

INSTANT displays. INS1ANT windows (incl. 
exploding and boxed). FASTEST sort you've 
seen. Read/write files FAST as DOS. IN¬ 
STANT menus, 1-2-3 horizontal and vertical 
bar. 

Trap A C/ A Break & DOS critical errors so no 
more A)bort, R)etry or l)gnore. Emulate 
BASIC PRINT USING for FAST formatted 
numbers. Execute any prog, batch or DOS 
command without ending program. 

Read environment. Read file directory. 
Get/set file attributes. Plus too many string 
functions to describe here. No royalties when 
you distribute COM programs. All source 
code included. A true bargain at $69.00. 


NOT COPY PROTECTED. 30 Day Money-Back 
Performance Guarantee. Requires IBM/com¬ 
patible &D0S2+. 

Order Now 800-922-3383 

We welcome VISA/MC. COO US only $a 
S/H US $3, Canada $5, Elsewhere $18. GA 
res. add tax and call 404-973-9272. Demo 
available. Send $5 check. Refunded on direct 
purchase. 

We also publish Stay-Res, Mach 2 for BASIC, 
The Inside Track and Peeks ’n Pokes. 

MicroHelp, Inc. 

2220 Carlyle Drive 
Marietta GA 30062 


CIRCLE NO. 257 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


creating, storing, and manipulating 
graphical images in conformance with 
the GKS (ISO 7492-1985) graphics stan¬ 
dard, is included with WATFOR-77. 

This product does use a type of 
copy protection. A nine-digit licensing 
agreement number is encoded on the 
program diskette of singly purchased 
copies. This number is entered at instal¬ 
lation time by the user. Copies of the 
compiler that have been purchased un¬ 
der a site licensing agreement display a 
message indicating the expiration date 
of the agreement each time they are in¬ 
voked. Site licensing agreements usually 
must be renewed yearly; however, users 
are permitted to make backup copies of 
either a singly purchased compiler or 
the site-licensed product. 

Because the WATFOR-77 compiler 
is configured to immediately execute 
source code that has been compiled 
without error, separate compilers are 
supplied for machines with or without 
an 8087. As shown in table 4, this com¬ 
piler was the only one to detea all er¬ 
rors in BIGERROR, but WATFOR-77 did 
take an inordinate number of compila¬ 
tion passes (10) to accomplish the com¬ 
plete debugging. Support of the option 
to force explicit declaration of all vari¬ 
ables (IMPLICIT NONE) would have 
been most helpful in debugging the 
sample problem used here. 

WATFOR-77 successfully compiled 
and executed all of the benchmarks ex¬ 
cept SYNTH3. Although the executable 
files generated are quite large, they are 
surprisingly fast. This is particularly true 
for non-8087 configurations. Along with 
its other good points, this compiler cer¬ 
tainly is one of the easiest to use. 

A FORMIDABLE FIELD 

This field offers no single best choice 
for a FORTRAN compiler. Each has its 
merits. DRI FORTRAN-77 offers data 
types most closely resembling those 
used on the 8087. Lahey’s F77L handled 
most of the benchmark problems, offers 
a variety of language extensions, and 
has very litde restriction on the distri¬ 
bution of runtime files. Microsoft’s re¬ 
vised FORTRAN ran all of the bench¬ 
marks, offers a superlative debugging 
capability, and produced the fastest 
8087 execution times. Prospero Soft¬ 
ware’s Pro FORTRAN-77 produced the 
fastest non-8087 execution times. Ryan- 
McFarland’s RM/FORTRAN offers abso¬ 
lute compatibility with IBM Professional 
FORTRAN and is strong in portability. 
watcom’s WATFOR-77 provides the best 
syntax analysis and is easy to use. Final¬ 
ly, Ellis Computing’s Utah FORTRAN of¬ 
fers the lowest price by far. 


The serious FORTRAN programmer 
probably will want to start with either 
the Microsoft or Lahey compiler. The 
casual user may wish to consider one of 
the easy-to-use imports: Pro FORTRAN- 
77 or WATFOR-77. Certainly, this field 
offers a range of compilers, one of 
which will fit any situation. GjiBiiB 

Digital Research , Inc. 

Distributor: Alexander & Lord 
P.O.Box 2110 
Carmel Valley, CA 93924 
408/659-2203 

DRI FORTRAN-77 4.1: $350.00 

CIRCLE 344 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Ellis Computing, Inc. 

5655 Riggins Court, Suite 10 
Reno, NV 89502 
702/827-3030 

Utah FORTRAN 1.0(4): $39.95 

CIRCLE 345 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Lahey Computer Systems, Inc. 

P.O. Box 6091 

Incline Village, NV 89450-6091 
702/831-2500 

Lahey F77L FORTRAN 2.2: $477.00 

CIRCLE 346 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Microsoft Corporation 
P.O. Box 97017 
Redmond, WA 98073-9717 
800/426-9400; 206/882-8080 
Microsoft FORTRAN 4.00A: $450.00 

CIRCLE 347 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Prospero Software Limited 
U.S. Distributor: Software Consulting 
Services 

3162 Bath Pike 
Nazareth, PA 18064 
215/837-8484 

Pro FORTRAN-77 1.141: $149.00 

CIRCLE 348 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Ryan-McFarland Corporation 
609 Deep Valley Drive 
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 
213/541-4828 
RM/FORTRAN 2.11: $595.00 

CIRCLE 349 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

watcom Products Inc. 

415 Phillip Street 

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3X2 

519/886-3700 

WATFOR-77 1.4: $375.00 

CIRCLE 350 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


John Voglewede is an engineer with the U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He holds 
degrees in physics, computer science, and 
mechanical engineering. He has worked 
with FORTRAN for 20 years. 


108 


PC TECH JOURNAL 





It’s moving day. 

Time to pack up that big mainframe 
program and move it to the PC. 

Relax. It’s going to be the easiest 
move you ever made if you use the new 
RM/FORTRAN™ V2.4 with Ryan- 
McFarland’s new RM/Forte™ produc¬ 
tivity tools. 

RM/FORTRAN has the VAX, VS 
and FORTRAN-66 extensions you 
need, and is field-proven with more 
than two years of mainframe conver¬ 
sions by thousands of demanding 
engineers and scientists. . 

And, with RM/Forte you f 

can complete your conver- \ Av 

sion at a record pace . . . 
cutting debug time up to 50%... 
diagnosing syntactical errors in 1/5 the time. 

You’re in the fast lane because RM/Forte integrates 
all major program development tasks—edit, compile, 
link and debug—into one interactive, menu-driven 
environment. Just a few simple keystrokes move you 
from one task to another . . . and back again. 

Plus, you get a full screen editor, a syntax checker 
and a source code manager that automates compiling 
and linking as you make changes. 

RM/FORTRAN applications are more than just 
easy to develop—they run fast, too. Sieve or 
Whetstones, RM/FORTRAN benchmarks ahead of 
the bunch. And if you need it, RM/FORTRAN has a 
very fast 8087/80287 emulator to give you the power 
of a coprocessor. 

But don’t take our word for it. Listen to a moving 
professional: “RM/FORTRAN lets us move main¬ 
frame programs to PCs faster and cleaner than any 



other compiler on the market.” (John 
Haestad, Haestad Methods) 

RM/FORTRAN was the first PC 
FORTRAN GSA certified a Full 
Level ANSI 77 with no errors. 
You may have heard of its sister, 
IBM PC Professional 
FORTRAN by Ryan- 
McFarland Corporation. 
Enough reading. Start 
■writing. Fill out and send 
in the coupon below to 
find out more about 
RM/FORTRAN with the 
new RM/Forte produc¬ 
tivity tools. 

Then move it! 




Ryan-McFarland 
609 Deep Valley Drive 
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 
Or call 213/541-4828 


RYAN-McFARlAND 





r 

i 
i 
i 

i 
i 
i 


Let’s get moving. Send me details on 
RM/FORTRAN V2.4 with RM/Forte Produc¬ 
tivity Tools, and your special upgrade offer. 

Name 


PCT 


1 


Company 


Title 


Street 


City 


State 


Zip 


Phone ( 


CIRCLE NO. 137 ON READER SERVICE CARD 






UNIX TOOLS FOR YOUR PC 


FORTRAN 


PC/VI 


UNIX’s VI Editor Now Available For Your PC! 

Are you being as productive as you can be with your 
computer? An editor should be a tool, not an obstacle to 
getting the job done. Increase your productivity today by 
choosing PC/VI — a COMPLETE implementation of 
UNIX* VI version 3.9 (as provided with System V 
Release 2). 

PC/VI is an implementation of the most powerful and 
most widely used full-screen editor available under the 
UNIX operating system. The following is only a hint of the 
power behind PC/VI: 

• Global search or search and replace using regular 
expressions 

• Full undo capability 

• Deletions, changes and cursor positioning on character, 
word, line, sentence, paragraph, section or global basis 

• Editing of files larger than available memory 

• Shell escapes to DOS 

• Copying and moving text 

• Macros and Vford abbreviations 

• Auto-indent and Showmatch - 

• MUCH. MUCH MORE! 

Don't take it from us. Here’s what some of our customers 
say: "Just what I was looking for!”, “It’s great!’’. "Just like 
the real VI!”. "The documentation is so good I have already 
learned things about VI that I never knew before." — IEEE 
Software. September 1986. 

PC/VI is available for IBM-PC’s and generic MS-DOSt 
systems for only 8149. Included are CTAGS and SPLIT 
utilities. TERMCAP function library, and an IBM-PC specific 
version which enhances performance by as much as 
TEN FOLD! 

PC/TOOLS _ 

What makes UNIX so powerful? Sleek. Fast, and 
POWERFUL utilities! UNIX gives the user not dozens, but 
hundreds of tools. These tools were designed and have 
been continually enhanced over the last fifteen years! Now 
the most powerful and popular of these are available for 
your PC! Each is a complete implementation of the UNIX 
program. Open up our toolbox and find: 

• BANNER •DIFF -MAKE «SED •TAIL 

•BFS *DIFFH «OD «SEE »TR 

• CAL • DIFF 3 • PASTE •SORT •TOUCH 

• CHMOD *GREP *PR -SPLIT *WC 

•CUT •HEAD «RM •STRING 

All of these for only $49.00: naturally, extensive 
documentation is included! 

PC/SPELL 

Why settle for a spelling checker which can only 
compare words against its limited dictionaiy database 
when PC/SPELL is now available? PC/SPELL is a complete 
implementation of the UNIX spelling checker, renowned 
for its understanding of the rules of English! PC/SPELL 
determines if a word is correctly spelled by not only 
checking its database, but also by testing such 
transformations as pluralization and the addition and 
deletion of prefixes and suffixes. For only $49.00, PC/SPELL 
is the first and last spelling checker you will ever need! 


r ( 2 SJi 


H 

O 

O 

5 

o 

30 

■< 

O 

C 

30 


Buy PC/VI and PC/TOOLS now and get PC/SPELL for 
only 81.00! Site licenses are available. Dealer inquiries 
invited. MA residents add 5% sales tax. AMEX MC and Visa 
accepted without surcharge. Thirty day money back 
guarantee if not satisfied! Available in 8". 5'A" and 3W' 
disk formats. For more information call today! 

•VNIX is.i trademark nl ATKT. *MS DOS Isa lradi-m.uk nl Mlt nisoll. 

CUSTOM SOFTWARE SYSTEMS 

P.O. BOX 678 • NATICK, MA 01760 
617 * 653 * 2555 


INTEGER I ~ 

DOUBLE PRECISION A, B f C, D 
C 


100 CONTINUE 

WRITE(6,1010) D 

1000 F0RMAT(2X,‘Double Precision Benchmark*) 
1010 FORHAtax, 'ERROR = • ,1E9.3> 




\ \ » * 0.* v - 'W -' 

DO 100 I « 1, 10000 wi ^ ©A _ J 

C 

C Implicit conversion. Use of intrinsic function FLOAT 

C available in ANSI X3.9*1978 but not recommended. 

d for intrinsic fundi* 


C type is automatically set to that of the argument. 

C Note that TAN(x) = SIN(X)/C0S(X) 



m 


iff® 




C SYH CODE 

c 

IMPLICIT REAL (A-D) 

DATA A000/1.0/ f B000/2.0/ f C000/3.0/,D000/4.i 

: -.. - : 


cIms'booo i • ii iw. i m siJs 

D001 = B000 * B000 
A002 * C001 - B001 
B002 = D001 / B001 
COOH ° A001 ♦ BG01 

D002 » B001 *8001 ' > ■ . 

A003 ® C002 - B002 
B003 = D002 / B002 
C003 = A002 + B002 

D003 • B002 * B002 _•. ^ __< . 

A004 ® 0003 *? B003 '2***'. ~ ’ - 

D004 = B003 * B003 
A005 * C004 - B004 
B005 = D004 / B004 

cctos 

111 

W!TE(* 

1000 FORMAT(4F10.1) 

END 







mm 


INTEGER I, J 
REAL A0 ( B0, CO, DO 
®> real : Ai;^irc;v, D1 




, ' 


DATA a0/1.0/;®)/2.O/^ C0/3.0/. 00/4.0/ 




DO 10 1=1,1000 
DO 10 J*1,1000 




D1 n B0 * B0 
A0 = Cl - B1 
B0 » D1 / B1 
CO n A1 + B1 


CIRCLE NO. 261 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


110 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




FORTRAN PROGRAMMERS 

LCS ANNOUNCES F77L LAHEY FORTRAN VERSION 2.20 
WE JUST MADE OUR TOP RATED FORTRAN LANGUAGE SYSTEM BETTER. 

“Lahey’s F77L FORTRAN is the compiler of choice. It's definitely a 
‘Programmer's FORTRAN ,’ with features to aid both the casual and 
the professional programmer. . . F77L compiled the five files in a total 
of 12 minutes , which was 4 times as fast as MS FORTRAN and an 
astounding 6 times as fast as Pro FORTRAN... ” 

—Editor’s Choice PC Magazine 


HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE REASONS 
WHY F77L IS THE COMPILER OF CHOICE: 

• Full Implementation of the • Clear and Precise 

ANSI 77 Standard English Diagnostics 

• Fast Compilation—outruns • Long Variable Names— 

everything on the market Up to 31 Characters 

• Powerful Multi-Featured • COMPLEX* 16, 

Source On-Line Debugger LOGICAL* 1 and 

• Popular Extensions for easy INTEGER*2 

porting of mainframe and • IEEE Standard 
mini computer programs Floating Point 

(Including NAMELIST) • Compatibility with popular 

• Recursion—allocates local third party software 

variables on the stack . Unmatched Technical 

• Arrays and COMMONS Support with an on-line 

greater than 64K bulletin board 

NEW FEATURES WITH VERSION 2.20: 

• Cross reference and source listings 

• Allocation maps of COMMON variables and arrays 

• In-line comments 

• IMPLICIT NONE compiler option 

• Faster Execution 

• Source On-Line Debugger (SOLD) includes: 

Trace Execution; No Relinking required; 

On-screen Listing; No effect on code size 

Call about our New F77L development tools: 

Lahey Profiler Mathematical Functions Library Overlay Linker 



It is more than just features that make F77L an outstanding 
product; it is the years of experience behind the software. At 
Lahey Computer Systems, we have been developing 
FORTRAN compilers since 1967 and we are committed to 
keeping F77L the industry leader. 

When PC Magazine selected our version 1.35 as the Editor’s 
Choice among PC FORTRANs, we were pleased but not 
completely satisfied—we knew we could improve the 
product. F77L Version 2.20 increases our lead over the 
competition. F77L’s precise diagnostics, advanced debug 
package, helpful user screens and comprehensive manual 
make it a complete and easy to use high productivity tool. 

When evaluating any software package, an important factor 
to consider is the value of your time. F77L saves you time and 


money the moment you start using it. Our FORTRAN 
Language System has the key features you need to increase 
productivity and get the job done. Other PC FORTRANs may 
be cheaper than F77L, but none are less expensive to use. 

F77L—THE PROGRAMMER’S FORTRAN 

Price: $477.00 

System Requirements: MS-DOS or PC-DOS (2.0 or greater), 

256K, math coprocessor (8087-80287) 

TO ORDER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

702-831-2500 

Lahey Computer Systems, Inc. 

P.O. Box 6091, Incline Village, NV 89450 
Telex: 9102401256 



International Representatives: 

Canada: Barry Mooney & Assoc., Tel. (902)6652941 • England: Grey Matter Ltd. Tel. (0364)53499 • Switzerland: DST Comp. Services. Tel. (022)989188 
Denmark: Ravenholm Computing, Tel. (02)887249 • Australia: Comp. Transitions, Tel. (03)5372786 • Japan: Microsoftware Inc.. Tel. (03)8138222 

MS-DOS & MS FORTRAN are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Pro FORTRAN refers to IBM PC Professional FORTRAN by Ryan McFarland 


CIRCLE NO. 128 ON READER SERVICE CARD 




FORTRAN 


Protect Your 
Private Parts. 



At Rainbow Technologies, we think protecting 
software developers’ investments is very serious 
business. That’s why we designed the first fully 
effective security solution for software running on 
PCs and other computers. 

Our family of virtually impenetrable Software 
Sentinel hardware keys provides the highest level of 
software protection the developer can get. While 
remaining invisible to the end user. 

Take a look. 


Key Sentinel Family Features. 

Prohibits unauthorized use of software □ No need 
for copy protection □ Unlimited backup copies □ 
Virtually unbreakable D Pocketsize key □ Trans- 
parent operation □ Transportable 


Software 

Sentinel. 

0 Algorithm technique 
(Never a fixed response) 

O Serial or parallel port version 
O Minimal implementation effort 
O Higher level language 
interfaces included 
O 100 times faster than fixed- 
response devices (1ms) 

O Runs under DOS and Xenix, 
on IBM PC/XT/AT and 
compatibles 

Software 

Sentinel-C. 

O For developers who want to 
customize or protect multiple 
packages with one device 
O 126 bytes of non-volatile 
memory that is programmed 
before shipment of software 
O We supply a unique 
programming adapter for 
programming the unit 
O Higher level language 
interfaces included 
O Runs under DOS on 
PC/XT/AT and compatibles 
O Parallel port version only 


Software 

Sentinel-W. 

O Designed for workstations, 
supermicros and minicomputers 
O Serial port only (modem-type) 
O Algorithm technique 
0 We provide detailed interface 
specifications: Developer 
creates a port driver 
O Interface requirements: 25 pin 
DB25P or DB25S; 
RS232/RS422/RS423 
O Only signals used: DTR <St RTS 
from computer; signal ground; 
DSR or optional DCD from 
Software Sentinel-W or external 
device. TXD, RXD, CTS, RI 
passed through. 


Call For Software Sentinel 
Evaluation Kit Pricing. 

For more information on the 
Software Sentinel family, contact: 

RAINBOW 

TECHNOLOGIES. INC. 
17971-E Skypark Circle 
Irvine, CA 92714 

can (714) 261-0228 



DO = B1 * B1 
10 CONTINUE 
C 

WRITE(*,1000) A1, B1, Cl, D1 
1000 FORMAT(4F10.1) 

END 

LISTING 5: BIGARRAY.F77 

C PROGRAM WITH A LARGE ARRAY 
C 

INTEGER I, J 
REAL MATRIX, SUM 
DIMENSION MATRIX(200,200) 

C 

C MATRIX IS A 200 X 200 = 40000 ELEMENT ARRAY 
C OR 160 KILOBYTES AT 4 BYTES/ELEMENT 
C 

DATA MATRIX/10000*1.0,10000*2.0,10000*3.0,10000*4.0/ 

C 

C Calculate the sum of all elements 
C 

SUM = 0.0 
DO 10 J=1,200 
DO 10 1=1,200 
SUM = SUM + MATRIX(I,J) 

10 CONTINUE 
C 

WRITE(*,1000) SUM 

1000 FORMAT(2X,'SUM = \1F9.1) 

END 

LISTING 6 : BIGERROR.F77 

PROGRAM WITH LARGE ERRORS 
C 

INTEGER SUM 
REAL MATRIX SUM 
DIMENSION MATRIX 200,200) 

C 

MATRIX IS A 200 X 200 = 40000 ELEMENT ARRAY 
C OR 160 KILOBYTES AT 4 BYTES/ELEMENT 
C 

DATA MATRIX/20000*1.0,20000*2.0,20000*3.0,20000*4.0/ 

C 

C Calculate the sum of all elements 

c 

C SUM = 0.0 

DO 10 J=1,300 
DO 10 1=1 200 
I = SUM + MATRIXO , J) 

11 CONTINUE 
C 

WRITE(*,1000) SUN 

1001 FORMAT(2X,'SUM = *,1F9.1) 

C END 

COMMENTS ON BIGERROR 

1 PROGRAM STATEMENT WITH MULTIPLE NAMES/PROGRAM NAME TOO LONG 

2 

3 VARIABLE SUM DEFINED AS BOTH INTEGER AND REAL 

4 DELIMITING COMMA MISSING BETWEEN VARIABLES 

5 OPEN PARENTHESIS MISSING IN DIMENSION STATEMENT 

6 

7 MISSING "C" IN COLUMN ONE OF THIS COMMENT LINE 

8 
9 

10 TOO MANY VALUES IN DATA STATEMENT 

11 
12 

13 

14 COMMENT LINE - VARIABLE "SUM" IS NOW UNDEFINED 

15 DO-LOOP INDEX LARGER THAN ARRAY SUBSCRIPT BOUNDS 

16 MISSING COMMA DELIMITER IN DO-LOOP RANGE 

17 DO-LOOP INDEX CHANGED WITHIN DO-LOOP 

18 STATMENT LABEL IS INCORRECT - SHOULD BE ''10" 

19 

20 VARIABLE "SUM" MISSPELLED 

21 FORMAT LABEL INCORRECT - SHOULD BE ''1000'' 

22 COMMENT LINE - END STATEMENT NOW MISSING 


112 


CIRCLE NO. 157 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 





LAN REPORT 6 


LAN Communications, 

An Expanding LAN Connectivity Picture. 


I nitially, personal computer 
LANs were a means of 
sharing departmental PC 
resources. Early LAN connec¬ 
tivity products were designed 
to meet the needs of the indi¬ 
vidual workgroup. 

But today’s information 
structures require LANs to 
integrate easily into a wide 
variety of external computing 
resources. In fact, LANs are 
quickly becoming the focal 
point for many corporate-wide 
computing systems. Connectiv¬ 
ity has become a primary issue. 

As LANs become central to 
corporate information systems, 
users have a critical need to 
connect LANs with other 
LANs, and to connect LANs 
with a full spectrum of host 
computing systems. And not 
only must LANs provide a 
variety of high-performance 
connections, but they must 
often provide these connections 
over a broad geographic area. 

Novell is prepared to meet this new 
level of needs through the NetWare 
series of LAN Communications prod¬ 
ucts. Using industry-proven protocols 
and communications standards, Novell 
provides LAN communications in 
three key areas: 1) local and remote 
LAN bridges, 2) host gateways, and 
3) remote PC connections. 

Local and Remote LAN 
Bridges. 

Through NetWare Bridge Software, 
users can link all departmental LANs 
into a single, comprehensive internet¬ 
work, that could encompass as many 
as 17 brands of network media. Users 
can communicate with any file server 
on the internet, regardless of which 
network they are logged into or what 
hardware they are using. 

For LANs that require remote bridge 
connections, NetWare’s Asynchronous 
Remote Bridge provides connections to 
remote LANs at speeds of up to 19.2K 



"Not only must LANs provide a 
variety of high-performance 
connections, but they must often 
provide these connections over a 
broad geographic area." 


either 32 or 256 sessions, over a 
single port connection. 

And not only can the X.25 
Gateway connect a LAN to a 
company’s local host computers, 
but it can provide remote gateway 
connections for many popular host 
resources through public data 
networks. 

Novell’s LAN gateway prod¬ 
ucts also include CXI’s LAN-to- 
mainframe connections, emulat¬ 
ing both IBM 3270 and 5250 
systems. These highly advanced 
LAN gateways can operate either 
locally or remotely, supporting 
as many as 64 sessions and 
operating at speeds up to 
64K bps. 

Remote PC Connections. 


baud. To the user, the remote LAN 
connection appears just like a local 
bridge. 

And the NetWare X.25 Remote 
Bridge allows users to connect with 
multiple remote LANs, all over the 
world, and to share data at speeds up 
to 64K bps. The X.25 Bridge includes 
its own advanced routing capabilities. 
NetWare X.25 Remote Bridges can 
connect any variety of NetWare LANs, 
using either dial-up or leased line 
connections, through private or public 
data networks such as Telenet or 
Tymnet. 

Host Gateways. 

NetWare host gateways provide 
high-performance connections to a 
variety of local or remote computer 
systems. NetWare Asynchronous 
Connection Services (NACS) allows 
NetWare LANs to connect to a wide 
variety of asynchronous resources. The 
NetWare X.25 Gateway allows a 


network to run terminal emulation for 
©Novell, Inc. World Headquarters, 122 East 1700 South, Provo, Utah 84601 (801) 379-5900 


NetWare’s communication 
services allow remote personal 
computers, through the NetWare 
Any Ware software package, to 
have access to a NetWare LAN 
just as if they were local. This 
service supports as many as 12 concur¬ 
rent sessions, using one local work¬ 
station on the LAN for the duration of 
each remote connection. 

Putting It All Together. 

Today’s advanced LAN capabilities 
make it feasible for NetWare users to 
connect entire corporations, over broad 
distances, through LANs. Novell’s 
LAN Communications series of prod¬ 
ucts is designed to make your network 
expansion easier. 

For specific information on LAN 
Communications products, order 
Novell’s LAN Communications Report 
by writing Novell, Inc., or calling 
1 -800-LANKIND. 

For more information, call from your 
modem 1-800-332-0012 (0-1200 baud, 

8 bit, no parity, 1 stop bit) and enter the 
access code NVLRCP1 when prompted. 
(In VA call 703-476-5255) 


O V E L 

Milestones Ahead. 


CIRCLE NO. 109 ON READER SERVICE CARD 




THE PROGRAMME 


SHOP 


helps save time, money and cut frustrations. Compare, evaluate, and find products. 


RECENT DISCOVERY 


UI Programmer - Quickly generate 
dB ASE User Interfaces, prototypes. Use 
supplied templates or create own. 

Pop-up help, bounce bar menus, screen 
forms. II, III, FoxBASE +, Quicksilver, 


Compare Products 
Use Product Specialists 


RECENT DISCOVERY 


Clipper. 


PC $ 295 


Al-Expert System Dev’t 


Arity Combination Package 
System - use with C 
SQL Dev’t Package 
Auto-Intelligence 


PC $ 979 
MS $ 229 
MS $ 229 
PC $ 749 


Experteach-Powerful, samples PC S 349 


Exsys PC $ 309 

Runtime System PC $ 469 

Insight 2 + MS $ 379 

Intelligence/Compiler PC $ 749 

T.I. - PC Easy PC S 435 

Personal Consultant Plus PC $2589 
Personal Consultant Runtime PC $ 85 
Turbo Expert-Startup-(400 rules) PC $ 129 
Corporate (4000 rules) PC $ 359 


Microsoft MuLisp 85 MS $ 159 

PC Scheme LISP - by TI PC $ 85 

TransLISP - learn fast MS $ 89 

TransLISP PLUS 

Optional Unlimited Runtime MS $ 150 
PLUS for MSDOS MS $ 179 


MS $ 179 


Others: IQ LISP ($239), IQC LISP ($269) 


Al Prolog 


APT - Active Prolog Tutor - build 
applications interactively PC $ 65 

ARITY Prolog - full, 4 Meg 
Interpreter - debug, C, ASM PC $ 229 
COMPILER/Interpreter-EXE PC $ 569 
Standard Prolog MS $ 77 

MacProlog Complete MAC $ 269 

MicroProlog - Prof. Entry Level MS $ 85 
MicroProlog Prof. Comp./Inteip. MS $ 439 
MPROLOG P550 PC $ 175 

Prolog-86 - Leam Fast MS $ 89 

Prolog-86 Plus - Develop MS $ 2 9 


TURBO PROLOG by Borland PC $ 


Editors for Programming 


BRIEF Programmer’s Editor . PC Call 
EMACS by UniPress Source: $929 $ 299 
Epsilon - like EMACS, full 
C-like language for macros. PC $ 149 
KEDIT - like XEDIT PC $ 99 

Lattice Screen Editor - multi window, 
multitasking Amiga $ 89 MS $ 109 
Micro Focus Micro/SPF PC $ 139 
PC/EDT - macros PC $ 229 

PC/VI - by Custom Software MS $ 109 
Personal REXX PC $ 99 

PM ATE - power, multitask PC $ 119 

Note: All prices subject to change without notice. 

Mention this ad. Some prices are specials. Ask about 
COD and POs. Formats: 3" laptop now available, plus 200 others. 


The Programmer’s Shop is much more than 
the supplier of the largest selection of 
programmer’s software. Trained program¬ 
ming consultants will answer your questions. 
Ask “product specialists’’ about Cross 
Assembler, Translators, Debuggers, or 
compilers. , 


NET-TOOLS - Access NETBIOS- 
compatible network systems from 
Microsoft C, Pascal, FORTRAN, 
Assembler, Lattice C. Full Source, 


No Royalties. 


PC $129 


dBASE Language 


Our Services: 

• Programmer’s Referral List ( Dealers Inquire 

• Compare Products • Newsletter 

• HelpfiodaPubiisher ♦ Rush Order 

• Evaluation Literature FREE • Over 700 products 

• BBS -7PM to7 AM 617-740*2611 • National Accounts Center 


Clipper compiler 
dBASE II 
dBase III Plus 
dBASE III LanPack 


PC Call 
MS $329 


PC $429 
PC $649 


DBXL Interpreter by Word Tech PC $ 139 


FoxBASE 4- - single user 
Quick Silver by Word Tech 


MS $349 
PC $499 


dBASE Support 


C Language-Compilers 


AZTEC C86 - Commercial PC 

C86 PLUS - by Cl MS 

Datalight C - fast compile, good code, 
4 models. Lattice compatible, Lib 
source. Dev’rs Kit PC 

Datalight Optimum - C MS 

with Light Tools by Blaise PC 

Lattice C - from Lattice MS 

Let’s C Combo Pack PC 

Let’s C PC 

Microsoft C 4.0- CodeView MS 

Uni ware 68000/10/20 Cross 
Compiler MS 

Rex - C/86 by Systems & 

Software - standalone ROM MS 

Wizard C MS 

Rom Development Package MS 


PC $499 
MS Call 


PC $ 77 
MS $ 99 
PC $168 
MS $275 
PC $ 99 
PC $ 59 
MS $275 


dBase Tools for C 
dBrief with Brief 
DBC ISAM by Lattice 
dBx Translator to C 
dFlow - flowchart, xref 
Documentor - dFlow superset 


PC $ 65 
PC Call 
MS Call 


MS $319 
MS Call 
MS Call 


Genifer by Bytel-code generator MS $299 


QuickCode III Plus 


MS $249 


Fortran & Supporting 


50: More FORTRAN 
ACS Time Series 
Forlib+ by Alpha 
MS Fortran - 4.0, full ’77 
No Limit - Fortran Scientific 


PC $ 99 
MS $399 
MS $ 59 
MS $279 
PC $115 


MS $695 
MS $299 


PC-Fortran Tools - xref, pprint PC $179 


RM/Fortran 


MS $259 


Scientific Subroutines - Matrix MS $139 


C Language-Interpreters 


Multilanguage Support 


C-terp by Gimpel - full K & R MS $229 


C Trainer - by Catalytix PC $ 89 

INSTANT C - Source debug, 

Edit to Run-3 seconds, .OBJs MS $379 
Interactive C by IMPACC Assoc. PC $209 
Run/C Professional MS $159 

Run/C Lite MS $ 89 


PC $209 
MS $159 


BTRIEVE ISAM MS $185 

BTRIEVE/N-multiuser MS $455 

Flash-Up Windows PC $ 79 

GSS Graphics Dev't Toolkit PC $375 

HALO Graphics PC $209 

Development Package MS $395 

Informix - by RDS PC $639 

Informix 4GL-application builder PC $789 

Informix SQL - ANSI standard PC $639 

Opt Tech Sort - sort, merge MS $ 99 

PANEL MS $215 

Pfinish - by Phoenix MS $229 

PolyLibrarian by Polytron MS $ 79 

Poly Boost- speed I/O, keyboard PC $ 69 
PVCS Corporate-source control MS $319 

QMake by Quilt Co. MS $ 85 

Report Option - for Xtrieve MS $109 

Screen Sculptor PC $ 95 

SRMS - source control MS $109 

VXM - multi-env. link MS $195 

Xtrieve - organize database MS $199 


MS $ 89 


C Libraries-General 


Blackstar C Function Library PC $ 79 
C Essentials - 200 functions PC $ 75 
C Function Library MS $109 

C Tools Plus (1 & 2) - Blaise PC $125 
C Utilities by Essential PC $129 

C Worthy Library - Complete, machine 
independent MS $249 

Entelekon C Function Library PC $119 
Entelekon Superfonts for C PC $ 45 
Greenleaf Functions-portable, ASM $139 
LIGHT TOOLS by Blaise. PC $ 69 


MS $ 99 
MS $215 


MS $229 
MS $ 79 


MS $ 85 
MS $109 
PC $ 95 
MS $109 
MS $195 
MS $199 


1 FEATURE 


ZAP Communications- VT 100 PC $ 89 

Personal COBOL by MicroFocus - 


FEATURE i 


Develop, test, debug, execute 
ANSI ’74 code. Full-screen editor, 
syntax checker. Animator, forms/ 
screen generator, help. Compatible 
with Level II. PC $169 


supports 6 models including tiny 
and huge, has floating point, 
interactive editor. Make. Speed 
development. PC $ 69 


UPS surface shipping add S3/iiem. w.». 

We support MSDOS (not just compatibles), PCDOS, Xenix-86, CPM-80, Macintosh, Atari ST, and Amiga. 


IHOURS 


Call for a catalog, literature, knowledge of your telephone answering staff, and the 

m 7 promptness of your service. I have every wish to be- 

advice and service you can trust come a continuing customer of The Programmer’s 

CarIC. Rollo 


8:30 AM-8:00 PM EST. 




CIRCLE NO. 162 ON READER SERVICE CARD 





















provides complete information, advice, guarantees and every product for Microcomputer Programming. 


Getting started 
in expert system development 
has never been this 


qr 


Announcing the Personal Consultant™ Series, 
from Texas Instruments. Now there’s a family of 
powerful expert system development tools to get 
you started and keep you going. 

Personal Consultant Easy (PC Easy) runs 
on select members of the TI Professional and 
IBM® Personal Computer families or compat¬ 
ibles. Designed for those just getting started 
in expert system development, PC Easy is the 
low-cost, high-functionality tool for rapid proto¬ 
typing and development of expert system appli¬ 
cations on personal computers for only $495 * 

Personal Consultant Plus (PC Plus), the 
larger, more powerful member of the Personal 
Consultant Series, is priced at $2,950* De¬ 
signed to take advantage of today’s more 
powerful AT-class of personal computers, 

PC Plus provides extended knowledge represen¬ 
tation features; increased rule capacity; and 
access to the Lisp language allowing sophisti¬ 
cated developers the flexibility to extensively 
customize their applications. 

Both microcomputer products feature a 
powerful rule entry language with integrated 
window-oriented editor; comprehensive user 


explanation facilities such as WHY, HOW, 
HELP, and REVIEW; support for TI and IBM 
EGA graphics; access to external information 
through DOS files or dBase™ inquiries; and the 
ability to deliver cost-effective versions of your 
applications with the addition of an optional 
run-time diskette. 

Knowledge bases created using PC Easy are 
100% upwardly compatible with the higher 
functionality PC Plus product on a microcom¬ 
puter, allowing you to “get started and keep 
going" with total confidence that your software 
investment will be preserved. 

PC Easy $ 439 
PC Plus $2599 

Texas 

Instruments 

•U Lot Price. mh)«t to change without notice. 

Personal Consultant and Explorer ate trademarks U Texas Instruments 
Incorporated 

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Cotporation. 
dBase is a trademark of Ashton-Tate. 

CI986T1 261765-04A 


Since 1981 HAL^ 


has been the 
industry standard 
library of graphic 
subroutines for the PC. ^ 
HALO has the largest inst- ^ 
ailed base of end-users and ^ 
more ISV’s than any graphics 
software environment. 


WfV 

u WVx 


Why? Because HALO grows with the^ 
industry. Graphics experts at Media 
Cybernetics are constantly improving 
HALO and expanding its compatibility. 
HALO supports 16 programming 
languages and over 125 devices. 

HALO is also compatible with IBM’s 
new hardware series. 

Media Cybernetics offers HALO 
programmers professional support, 
flexible, practical licensing terms, and 
the continuing commitment to assure 
that HALO will always be the most 
effective graphic toolkit in the industry. 






List: $300 


Our: $209 



WANT TO ADD 

WINDOWS, ICONS, FONTS, 

FAST GRAPHICS, DIALOG BOXES, 
PROCESS MANAGEMENT, AND 
DEVICE INDEPENDENCE 

TO YOUR IBM PC PROGRAMS? 

If you have ever wished that you could develop stunning Macintosh-like programs on the IBM PC without 
the overhead of an enormous operating environment like Windows or GEM, then you need the 

SYNERGY DEVELOPMENT TOOLKIT, from Matrix Software. 

Using a memory resident runtime module only 20K in size (versus as much as 300K for Windows), you 
can develop applications with: overlapped and tiled windows; pull-down menus with half intensity options 
and automatic sizing; fast graphics function calls to draw shapes, lines, boxes, and create intricate fill 
patterns in both regular and irregular areas; have full device independence (drivers for numerous devices, 
including CGA, EGA and Hercules are included); sophisticated text input and output, with fonts in different 
styles and sizes; full keyboard support (your programs won't need a mouse!) and powerful mouse support; 
and process management calls to efficiently manipulate system resources. 

The Toolkit has gateways to support the following languages: 

• Turbo Pascal • Microsoft & Lattice C 

• IBM/MS Pascal • Macro Assembler 

In addition, the Toolkit includes a powerful collection of tools including a graphics resource editor for 
developing your own icons and fonts. 

NEW! The Toolkit also Includes a free copy of Synergy Layout, a revolutionary software 
development tool that dramatically increases your productivity by actually generating bug-free source code 
in Macro, C, and Turbo Pascal. 

For further Information, contact Matrix Software at [617] 567-0037. 


List: $395 
Our: $349 


Basic 

dBASE ll/lll Compilers 


Introducing the Lattice* MS-DOS 
C Compiler, Version 3. 

There’s never been a better time to buy Lattice C. 
Professional programmers the world over have made 
Lattice C the standard compiler for serious MS-DOS 
programming. Now Version 3 offers even more of the 
features that have made our previous versions so 
popular. Our new compiler features include: 

ANSI language constructs including, unsigned as a 
modifier, void data type, enum data type, structure 
assignments, structure arguments, structure returns, 
and argument type checking. 

The compiler also contains better aliasing algorithms, 
more efficient code generation, and more flexible 
segmentation, in-line 8087 code generation, and 80186/ 
80286 code generation. 

The library contains more than 200 new functions, 
including: ANSI/UNIX/XENIX compatibility; extended 
support for MS-DOS; extended support for networking 
including file sharing, file locking, and I/O redirection; 
and flexible error handling via user traps and exits. 

Plus the library has also been re-engineered to 
produce much smaller executables. 

Try the new Version 3 C Compiler from Lattice. 

Because C-ing is believing. 


Lattice 


Lattice, Incorporated 
P.O. Box 3702 
Glen Ellyn, IL 60138 
312/858-7950 TWX 910-291-2190 


List: 

Our: 


$500 

$289 


Call Today for FREE detailed 
information or try Risk-Free for 31 days, 
any product on this page. 


800-421-8006 


THE PROGRAMMER'S SHOP ™ 

Your complete source for software, services and answers 


5-P Pond Park Road, Hingham, MA 02043 
Mass: 800-442-8070 or 617-740-2510 3/87 


CIRCLE NO. 151 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


























Z1M DEFIES THE 

WORDS 


1) Productivity 

2) Portability 


ZIM®, the definitive 4GL/DBMS for the serious 
application developer, brings new meaning to 
words like "productivity," "portability," "power" 
and "performance." That's because in four short 
years ZIM has established a new standard of 
database design, the Entity-Relationship (E-R) 
model, and in doing so, has created new stan¬ 
dards by which all other 4GLs are measured. 


Productivity ZIM delivers productivity im¬ 
provements over the entire development life- 
cycle, from requirements all the way through 
maintenance. Although other products demon¬ 
strate a 10:1 productivity gain in the coding 
phase of systems development, ZIM 
outperforms them in all stages, as shown below. 


REQUIREMENTS 

CODING 

DOCUMENTATION 

MAINTENANCE 

AVERAGE 


Productivity 

Gain 



ZIM productivity across the development lifecycle 

At the core of ZIM users' gains is the E-R 
model, a graphically-oriented data model that 
eclipses traditional Relational models because 
it recognizes relationships between tables of 
data as well as those within. ZIM's pre-defined 
relationships permit the implementation of 
many-to-many relationships, outer joins, and re¬ 
lationship consistency with an ease not found in 
any other product. 

Intrinsic to ZIM's E-R orientation is the code- 
reducing ZIM language. Since ZIM code is a 
generation ahead of 3GLs (like COBOL) and 


much tighter than other 4GLs, your development 

time is slashed accordingly. 

— 

SELECT * 

FROM WORKONTAB, PROJECTS, EMPLOYEES- 
WHERE WORKTONTAB.ENUM = EMPLOYEES.ENUM- 
AND W0RK0NTAB.PNUM = PROJECTS.PNUM- 
AND PROJNAME = 'ALPHA' 

ZIM: 

List all employees workon projects where 
projname= 'Alpha' 

A typical SQL command and the ZIM equivalent. 

ZIM is a true 4GL that integrates all neces¬ 
sary facilities (forms, data dictionary, update, 
query, report writer, debugging) into one pack¬ 
age using common concepts. ZIM's code effi¬ 
ciency, combined with its 4GL conciseness, 
make it a system that will not only significantly 
reduce your development time, but maintenance 
programming as well. 

ZIM/DA (ZIM's development assistant com¬ 
panion product) brings new depth to the con¬ 
cept of "productivity." ZIM/DA is comprised of 
an application generator, menu generator, inter¬ 
active data dictionary, context-sensitive help 
and an on-line training module. ZIM/DA 
permits remarkably fast transition from pro¬ 
totype to finished application; a ZIM/DA user 
can generate a simple prototype in 5-10 min¬ 
utes that is the equivalent of 2-4,000 lines of "C" 
code! 

Portability Tools and applications written in 
any version of ZIM (single-user MS-DOS®, MS- 
DOS networks, Novell networks, QNX®, 
UNIX™, XENIX®, VAX®/VMS®, VM/CMS®) are 
uniquely 100 percent portable to and from any 
other supported environment. For example, a 
multi-user VAX application can be developed 
under single-user MS-DOS, since ZIM ports re¬ 
quire no code alteration. 


CIRCLE NO. 236 ON READER SERVICE CARD 





















FOUR BIGGEST 
MA4GI: 

3) Power 

4) Performance 




WO percent portability 


Power ZIM is rich in powerful features and 
functions, for example: 

• Al-based access strategy analyzer 

• Unsurpassed computational abilities, 
including case expression, which handles 
with ease; the "step" function found in real- 
world business applications 

• Natural multi-user features, including roll¬ 
back, audit trails and roll-forward 

• Complete code-data independence 

• Active data dictionary 

• Exceptional text-handling capabilities 

• Unlimited forms manipulation and report¬ 
writing capabilities 

• Multi-lingual applications (French, German, 
etc.) 

Performance ZIM was designed to be an 
optimally-performing development platform in 
each machine environment. As a result, it is an 
exceptionally speedy, compact system; for ex¬ 
ample, ZIM on UNIX typically requires 280K for 
development and 175K for application runtime, 
with 30-35K per user of data space. A ZIM 
application will typically run as fast as the same 
written in "C," and with regard to competing 
4GLs, the fact that ZIM's memory use is less 
than half by comparison permits faster perform¬ 
ance and up to three times as many users on 
the same system. 


In addition to ZIM/DA, several other com¬ 
panion products are available to enhance your 
development application process. An integrated 
ZIM Compiler will ensure highest perform¬ 
ance of your finished application, while a 
Program Language Interface permits "C" 
access to ZIM databases. Runtime and 
Query Runtime systems are available, too. 

More Big Words Zanthe Information be- 
lieves in backing up excellent products with su¬ 
perior Service and Support, at a price that 
makes you as happy with Zanthe as you will be 
with ZIM. 

Zanthe's Priority Support program in¬ 
cludes first-rate telephone technical support, 
free updates and new versions, and periodic 
technical bulletins. New users are entitled to 90 
days of free Priority Support, while Code Re¬ 
view and Training services are available for 
all ZIM users, experienced or novice. 

Finally, there's our price. All versions of ZIM 
are priced to deliver exceptional value, starting 
at $795 for single-user MS-DOS ZIM. Zanthe's 
attractive site license program is an option, too. 

In searching for the highest quality solution to 
your application development needs, Zanthe 
doesn't just say big words about product, sup¬ 
port and price. We mean them—so give us a 
call, today! 



Zanthe Information Inc. 
1200-38 Antares Drive 
Nepean, Ontario K2E 7V2 

U.S. 800-267-9972 
Canada 613-727-1397 


ZIM is a registered trademark of Zanthe Information Inc. VAX and VMS are registered trademarks of Digital Equipment 
Corp. UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories. XENIX and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. 
QNX is a registered trademark of Quantum Software Systems Ltd. VM/CMS is a registered trademark of IBM Corp. © 
1987 Zanthe Information Inc. 



PHOTOGRAPH » MARC DAVID COHEN 


Speed Infusion 


Part 3 


A third type of accelerator board for the PC 
replaces the 8088 microprocessor with an 
80286 and adds either a full complement 
of memory or a high-speed cache. 


TED MIRECKI 


C omputer systems, like people, 

seem to grow slower with age. Al¬ 
though, by all objective measures, 
that five-year-old IBM PC still runs at 
the speed it did when first purchased, it 
does not seem to run as fast as it did 
when it was brand new. Did it really 
slow down, or does it just seem that 
way since the new 80386-based ma¬ 
chines were brought in? 

Two different approaches for mak¬ 
ing the PC run faster were covered in 
the first two installments of this series. 
“Speed Infusion, Part 1” (Ted Mirecki, 
February' 1987, p. 126) covered Class I 
accelerators that speed up the original 
PC hardware with faster clock rates. The 
Class II accelerator boards, reviewed in 
“Speed Infusion, Pan 2,” (Ted Mirecki, 
April 1987, p. 66) replace the 8088 mi¬ 
croprocessor with an 8086, which not 
only runs faster, but also does more 
work per unit of time. 

The next step in escalating PC per¬ 
formance is the Class III accelerator 
board, containing an even more capable 
processor—the 80286. Eleven products 


of this type, divided into two categories 
based upon the amount of memory, are 
considered. Four full-complement 
boards are reviewed: the Applied Rea¬ 
soning Corporation (ARC) PC-elevATor; 
Classic Technology, Inc. 286 speed pak; 
Orchid Technology PCturbo 286e; and 
Seattle Telecom & Data, Inc. (STD) PC- 
286. Seven boards that use cache mem¬ 
ory are compared: the MicroWay Fast- 
cache 286; Mountain Computer, Inc. 
RaceCard 286; Orchid Technology Tiny- 
Turbo 286; Personal Computer Support 
Group (PCSG) Breakthru 286; PC Tech¬ 
nologies, Inc. (PCT) 286 Express; Sigma 
Designs TurboCache 286; and Victor 
Technologies, Inc. SpeedPac 286. The 
general characteristics of the boards are 
listed in table 1. 

Speeding up a PC by the insertion 
of an 80286 is fundamentally different 
than merely increasing the clock rate or 
replacing the 8088 with an 8086. Those 
methods turn a slow PC into a not-so- 
slow PC, but it remains a PC neverthe¬ 
less. On the other hand, the 80286 is 
the defining characteristic of the PC/AT. 



118 


















SPEED INFUSION 


TABLE 1: 286 Accelerator Characteristics 


FULL-COMPLEMENT ACCELERATORS 

ARC CLASSIC ORCHID STD 


MODEL 

PRICE 

PC-elevATor 

$995 

286 SPEED PAK 

$995 

PCturbo 286e 
$1,195 

PC-286 

$1,500 

NOMINAL CLOCK RATES (MHz) 
80286 clock 

10 

8 

8 

12 

80287 clock 

5 or 8 

6 

8 

8 _ 

SIZE OF BOARD 

Full 

Full 

Full 

Full 

TYPE 

Coprocessor 

Emulator 

Coprocessor 

Emulator 

ON-BOARD MEMORY (KB) 

2,048 

1,024 

1,024 

640 

SWITCH BETWEEN 80286/8088 

Toggle switch 

O 

• 

O 

O 

Software 

• 

O 

• 

O 

Hot key 

O 

O 

O 

O 

Switch without reset 

O 

o 

• 

N/A 

Switch without cold boot 

• 

o 

• 

N/A 


%=Yes Q=No N/A-Not applicable 


The question to be asked is: if it has an 
80286, is it an AT—not only as fast as an 
AT, but really an AT? 

That question is especially perti¬ 
nent now, in light of the recent an¬ 
nouncement of IBM’s Operating System/ 
2 (OS/2), the long-awaited protected- 
mode operating system that will finally 
tap the full potential of the 80286 (see 
this month’s Tech Releases, p. 32). This 
development makes it clear that the AT 
is not merely a faster PC, but is signifi¬ 
cantly different. The motivation for ad¬ 
ding an 80286 accelerator to a PC, then, 
is not only raw speed, but also the 
tempting—though perhaps remote— 
possibility of running OS/2 on a PC 
equipped with such an accelerator. 

COMPLEMENT VERSUS CACHE 

The insertion of a foreign processor 
into a PC, even one as closely related as 
the 80286 is to the 8088, presents some 
compatibility problems. A significant ad¬ 
vantage of the 80286 is its word-wide 
(16-bit) data transfers compared with 
the byte-wide (8-bit) transfers of the 
8088. The PC data bus, however, is only 
one byte wide. Although the 80286 can 
perform byte-wide transfers, doing so 
wastes a large part of its power. The 
first problem, then, is how to interface 
the 80286 with the PC bus. Two main 
approaches to this problem are to pro¬ 
vide a full complement of high-speed 
memory, or to provide only a small part 
of memory as a high-speed cache. 

The first category 7 , the full-comple¬ 
ment accelerator, provides all of the 
memory for the 80286 on a separate 16- 
bit bus. Typically, this memory is 640KB 
and can be as high as 2MB on one 
board. Some accelerators of this type 


have connectors to their on-board bus 
for adding even more memory 7 by way 
of additional boards. 

The two methods used to integrate 
the 16-bit memory into the existing 
memory space of the 8088 splits full- 
complement accelerators into two cate¬ 
gories. The first type, the coprocessor 
board, provides the 80286 with its own 
address space (distinct from that of the 
8088), and usually leaves the 8088 in its 
socket on the motherboard. Such an ac¬ 
celerator is essentially a single-board 
computer that shares peripherals, but 
not memory, with the host system. The 
ARC PC-elevATor and Orchid PCturbo 
286e are two examples of this type of 
full-complement board. 

The second type of full-comple¬ 
ment accelerator, the emulator board, 
provides up to 640KB of 16-bit memory 
in the original 8088 address space. The 
8088 is either removed entirely, as with 
the STD PC-286, or switched into an 
inactive state when the 80286 is run¬ 
ning, as on the Classic 286 speed pak. In 
the latter case, the user can switch back 
to operate on the 8088. With emulator 
boards, memory on the original 8-bit 
bus becomes unused, and as much of it 
as possible should be removed from 
the system. Memory on expansion cards 
must be removed or disabled because 
the memory on the accelerator board 
replaces it. But the design of IBM ma¬ 
chines requires some minimum amount 
of memory on the motherboard for the 
system to operate, and the accelerator 
must be designed to duplicate this, not 
replace it. In a PC, the motherboard 
must be fully populated to 256KB, but 
in a PC/XT, only the first bank of 64KB 
need remain in place. Leaving more 


than the minimum in an XT and disa¬ 
bling it with switches has no effect on 
the machine’s operation, but doing so 
increases the system’s power require¬ 
ments because the chips remain pow¬ 
ered and still draw current. 

The second major category of 
80286 accelerators is the caching board, 
which provides only a small portion of 
memory space as a high-speed cache. 
This approach is based on the premise 
that, in most programs, much of the 
time is spent in tight loops or accessing 
the same data. A significant increase in 
overall speed can be achieved by stor¬ 
ing only the frequently accessed instruc¬ 
tions and data, rather than the entire 
program, in high-speed memory. 

Caching boards are smaller (usu¬ 
ally half-length), simpler, and less ex¬ 
pensive than full-complement boards. 
They may not even have an on-board 
clock to run the circuitry, using the tim¬ 
ing signals available in the PC’s bus 
slots instead. The two signals available 
are the oscillator at 14.3 MHz and the 
PC processor clock at 4.77 MHz. Unlike 
the 8086 processors covered in Part 2, 
an 80286 cannot obtain its clock signal 
by doubling the 4.77 MHz frequency 
because the 80286 operates at a fre¬ 
quency that is one-half the frequency of 
the signal on it dock input. For exam¬ 
ple, the 8-MHz processor in the AT has 
a 16-MHz signal feeding into it. There¬ 
fore, the only useful frequency available 
in the bus slots is the 14.3-MHz oscilla¬ 
tor, and this results in a clock rate for 
the 80286 processorof 7.2 MHz. 

The clock signal on a board of this 
type is synchronous with the mother¬ 
board clock because both are generated 
from the same source—the oscillator. 


120 


PC TECH JOURNAL 












MICROWAY 

MOUNTAIN 

CACHE-MEMORY ACCELERATORS 
ORCHID PCSG PCT 

SIGMA 

VICTOR 

FastCACHE 286 RaceCard-286 TinyTurbo 286 Breakthru 286 286 Express Card TurboCache 286 SpeedPac 286 

$599 

$595 

$695 

$395 

$595 

$649 

$349 

12 

8 

8 

12 

8 

10 

8 

6 or 12 

6 or 8 

8 

6 or 12 

6 or 8 

10 

6 or 8 

Half 

Half 

Half 

Half 

Half 

Full 

Half 

Asynch. 

Synch. 

Synch. 

Asynch. 

Synch. 

Asynch. 

Synch. 

8 

8 

8 

16 

8 

16 

8 

• 

O 

• 

O 

• 

• 

O 

O 

O 

O 

o 

O 

• 

O 

O 

o 

o 

o 

0 

• 

O 

O 

N/A 

o 

N/A 

o 

• 

N/A 

O 

N/A 

• 

N/A 

• 

• 

N/A 


Full-complement boards have 640KB or more of RAM on a 16-bit bus; caching boards have 8KB to 16KB of high-speed memory. 


Examples of this type of caching board 
are the Mountain RaceCard 286, the Or¬ 
chid TinyTurbo, the PCT 286 Express, 
and the Victor SpeedPac 286. These 
boards are rapidly becoming commod¬ 
ity items (in fact, the Mountain and Vic¬ 
tor products are the identical item sold 
under different labels), and their per¬ 
formance is virtually identical. 

Higher clock rates on the accelera¬ 
tor can be achieved by asynchronous 
means—that is, by providing an inde¬ 
pendent on-board clock. Three of the 
high-speed cache boards are of this 
type: the MicroWay FastCACHE 286, PCSG 
Breakthru 286, and Sigma TurboCache 
286. The pay-off for the cost and com¬ 
plexity of an asynchronous design is a 
higher processor speed, but there is 
also a reduction in bus performance. 

BUS TRANSFER 

The maximum speed of transferring in¬ 
formation between the processor and 
the bus is called the bus bandwidth. 

This speed depends on three variables: 
the clock rate, the number of clock cy¬ 
cles per bus access cycle, and the num¬ 
ber of bits transferred on each bus cy¬ 
cle. The 8088 microprocessor in the PC 
takes four clock cycles per bus cycle, 
while the 80286 needs a minimum of 
two clock cycles. To synchronize with 
slower memory and I/O devices, the 
processor monitors a “not ready” signal 
that is raised by each addressed device 
for the duration of the data transfer. 
Processing cannot continue until the 
ready line indicates that the transfer is 
complete, and, if this transfer takes 
longer than two clock cycles, the pro¬ 
cessor remains idle for one or more 
clock cycles called wait states. 


When the processor and bus are 
designed as a unit (as in the case of the 
AT, full-complement accelerators, and 
cache memory), the bus bandwidth can 
be matched to the capabilities of the 
processor by the choice of memory 
components. The IBM AT, Classic 286 
speed pak, and STD PC-286 opt for more 
readily available slower (and cheaper) 
memory, matching it to the processors 
clock speed .by the insertion of one wait 
state per cycle. The memory on the ARC 
PC-elevATor and Orchid PCturbo 286e, 
as well as all the cache memories, are 
implemented with chips capable of data 
transfers with zero wait states. 

The situation is different when a 
processor must access data through an 
existing bus of fixed bandwidth. This is 
the case when a caching board experi¬ 
ences a cache miss and must fetch data 
from main system memory. The maxi¬ 
mum data transfer rate then is the same 
as for the 8088 at the original clock rate 
of 4.77 MHz, as demonstrated by all the 
reviewed caching boards that have syn¬ 
chronous 7.2 MHz clocks. 

The maximum bandwidth of the 
original PC bus can be achieved only if 
the processor synchronizes bus re¬ 
quests with clock cycles on the bus. If 
the processor clock and bus clock run 
synchronously, transfer requests from 
the processor occur at the beginnings 
of a bus cycle. With an asynchronous 
processor, however, transfer requests 
can occur in the middle of clock cycles 
on the bus. The bus needs 4 integral 
clock cycles per transfer, but if the re¬ 
quest comes halfway through a clock 
cycle on the bus, then the transfer will 
not be complete until 4 Vz clock cycles 
later. In the worst case, a request can 


occur just after the start of a clock cycle 
on the bus, and the transfer will then 
take almost 5 clock cycles. Boards with 
asynchronous clocks must allow for this 
worst-case scenario. Thus, their bus cy¬ 
cle is fixed at five bus clocks instead of 
four, resulting in a bandwidth that is 80 
percent of the original. This is the 
trade-off for the higher processor clock 
speed that is attainable with an asyn¬ 
chronous clock, but, judging by the per¬ 
formance in real-world applications, the 
sacrifice is worthwhile. 

Whereas the problem of matching 
a high-speed processor to low-speed 
memory can be solved either by replac¬ 
ing the memory or by caching it, the 
problem remains of other activity on 
the PC bus, namely to the I/O ports. Re¬ 
placing the I/O devices is not practical, 
because that would be as expensive as 
replacing the whole system. For many 
devices, however, the speed of the de¬ 
vice itself is more limiting than the 
speed of the bus. Printers and serial 
ports run at their own rates governed 
by their physical limitations, and feed¬ 
ing data to them faster just results in 
more idle time between transfers. 

Other peripherals, specifically the 
hard disk, are limited by the rate of 
data transfer. In addition, the physical 
speed of the disk itself, not only the 
rate of data coming to it, is an issue. In 
disk-intensive operations, the speed ad¬ 
vantage an AT has over a PC is not pri¬ 
marily a function of the 80286, but of 
the disk drive. In such cases the effect 
of an accelerator card is minimal. 

The bus bandwidth is not the only 
compatibility issue. Because the pres¬ 
ence of an 80286 microprocessor is the 
defining characteristic of AT-class sys- 


JUNE 1987 


121 













SPEED INFUSION 







PHOTO 4: STD PC-286 


PHOTO 6: Mountain RaceCard 286 


122 


PC TECH JOURNAL 
















PHOTO 7: Orchid TinyTurbo 


PHOTO 9: PCT 286 Express 


PHOTO 10: Sigma TurhoCache 286 



PHOTO 11: Victor SpeedPac 286 



Photo 1: The ARC PC-elevATor is a full-complement copro¬ 
cessor board with 2MB of RAM on a 16-bit local bus. 

Photo 2: The Classic 286 SPEED PAK is an emulator board 
that places 1 MB of RAM in the 8088 address space. 

Photo 3- Orchid’s PCturbo 286e is a coprocessor with 1MB 
RAM; it leaves the PC’s original 8088 fully operational. 

Photo 4: The STD PC-286, an emulator with 640KB of RAM, 
has the fastest clock rate of all the boards tested. 

Photo 5: MicroWay’s FastCACHE 286 has switches that con¬ 
trol the speed at boot-up and turn caching on and off. 

Photo 6: The Mountain RaceCard 286 is a caching accelera¬ 
tor with a synchronous clock that runs at 7.2 MHz. 

Photo 7: Orchid’s TinyTurbo 286 has a switch that deter¬ 
mines which processor is in control at boot-up. 

Photo 8: The PCSG Breakthru 286 achieved the best perfor¬ 
mance results of the caching boards tested. 

Photo 9: The PCT 286 Express has the ability to switch be¬ 
tween the 80286 and 8088 without requiring a cold reboot. 

Photo 10: Sigma’s TurboCache 286 allows an EGA or 640- 
by-400-pixel resolution color video adapter to be added. 

Photo 11: Victor’s SpeedPac 286 is identical in performance 
and appearance to the Mountain RaceCard 286. 


JUNE 1987 


123 















TAKE IT 
FROM 

THE EXPERTS 

THE SUPER 
PC-KWIK 
DISK 

ACCELERATOR 
IS THE FASTEST 
CACHE AROUND 



"The most fantastic PC cache I've 
discovered is Super PC-Kwik. I 
tested it against Lightning. While 
Lightning edged it out slightly in 
some disk-read functions, only 
Super PC-Kwik drastically sped, up 
disk writes. On a floppy disk the 
increases were incredible. . . . Fast 
hard disks typically have a 40 to 50 
percent speed increase." 

John C. Dvorak, 
PC Magazine, 12/23/86 

. . even on high-powered 
machines with hard disks or 286/ 
386 processors, this utility can give 
you a faster PC for just a few 
dollars." 

Phillip Robinson, 
San Jose Mercury News , 12/7/86 

"I tested the program . . . and found 
the speed improvements impressive." 

Stephen R. Davis, 
PC Magazine 1/13/87 

Reviewers think Super PC-Kwik is 
great. You will too when you gain 
its competitive edge. 

YOU CREATE A GREAT PRODUCT. 
WITH SUPER PC-KWIK 
TECHNOLOGY, 

ITS PERFORMANCE COULD 
BE GREATER YET. 


Super PC-Kwik supports the 
IBM PC Junior through AT; the 
COMPAQ Portable through 
Deskpro 386; conventional, 
L/l/M expanded, and AT ex¬ 
tended memory. OEM and VAR 
arrangements available. List 
price: $79.95 


/4$OL7T50r\ 

Multisoft Corporation S-10 
18220S.W. MonteVerdi Blvd. 
Beaverton, OR 97007 

(503) 642-7108 


•"Proceed at top speed" 


Trademarks: PC-Kwik - Multisoft Corp., 
Lightning - PCSG Inc., IBM - International 
Business Machines, COMPAQ - COMPAQ 
Computer Corp. 


CIRCLE NO. 190 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

124 


SPEED INFUSION 

terns, should a PC with that processor 
behave more like an AT or a PC? The 
problem is illustrated by the treatment 
of the error interrupt from a numeric 
coprocessor. In the PC, an 8087 copro¬ 
cessor signals exceptions on the NMI 
(nonmaskable interrupt) line, whereas 
in an AT, the 80287 interrupts on IRQ 2, 
which in the PC is marked “reserved.” 
The MicroWay FastCACHE 286 board 
passes this decision on to the user, who 
can choose either implementation by 
means of a jumper setting. 

Also to be considered when judg¬ 
ing 80286 accelerators is whether they 
possess the ability to switch between 
operations on the 80286 and the origi¬ 
nal 8088. This is becoming less of an is¬ 
sue as software is increasingly being de¬ 
signed to be independent of the proces¬ 
sor clock speed. In most cases, any pro¬ 
gram that will run on an AT will run on 
these accelerators. Still, because a PC 
with an 80286 accelerator is neither a 
true PC nor a true AT, a situation may 
arise in which reverting to true PC op¬ 
eration becomes necessary. The higher 
the clock speed of the accelerator, the 
greater the likelihood of encountering 
some program or peripheral that can¬ 
not support it, thus requiring switching 
back to a slower speed. Of those re¬ 
viewed, one full-complement board 
(the STD PC-286) and three caching 
boards (the Mountain RaceCard, PCSG 
Breakthru, and Victor SpeedPac 286) do 
not provide this capability. 

Of the boards that do provide the 
capability to switch processors, all ex¬ 
cept the Orchid PCTurbo 286e and the 
Sigma TurboCache 286 require a system 
reset. The Classic 286 speed pak and 
MicroWay FastCACHE 286 even require 
the system to be powered down in or¬ 
der to make the switch. 

Given all the potential problems of 
grafting a new processor into an old 
system, it is surprising that these prod¬ 
ucts work at all. But they do work, and 
quite well at that. Overall, there were 
fewer problems with these boards than 
with the seemingly simpler 8086 accel¬ 
erators reviewed in part 2. 

STEP BY STEP 

The installation procedure for most of 
these boards is very similar. The most 
common procedure is described here; 
any differences are noted in the individ¬ 
ual product descriptions below. 

The first step is to set any jumpers 
or switches on the accelerator board. 
Most allow the setting of the clock 
speed for various models of the 80287 
coprocessor, and some caching boards 
need to be set for the total amount of 



SQL Compatible Query System adaptable to any 
operating environment. 


CQL Query System. A subset of the Structured 
English Query Language (SEQUEL, or SQL) 
developed by IBM. Linked files, stored views, 
and nested queries result in a complete query 
capability. File system interaction isolated in an 
interface module. Extensive documentation 
guides user development of interfaces to other 
record oriented file handlers. 

Portable Application Support System 

Portable Windowing System. Hardware 
independent windowing system with borders, 
attributes, horizontal and vertical scrolling. 
User can construct interface file for any 
hardware. Interfaces provided for PC/XT/AT 
(screen memory interface and BIOS only 
interface), MS-DOS generic (using ANSI.SYS), 
Xenix (both with and without using the curses 
interface), and C-library (no attributes). 

Screen I/O, Report, and Form Generation 
Systems. Field level interface between 
application programs, the Query System, and 
the file system. Complete input/output 
formatting and control, automatic scrolling on 
screens and automatic pagination on forms, 
process intervention points. Seven field types: 
8-bit unsigned binary, 16 bit signed binary, 16 
bit unsigned binary, 32 bit signed binary, 
monetary (based on 32 bit binary), string, and 
date. 

Including Source Code 

$395.00 

File System interfaces include 
C-tree and BTRIEVE. 

HARDWARE AND FILE SYSTEM 
INDEPENDENT 


C I^URTZBERG 

Gomputer Systems 

41-19 BELL BLVD. 

BAYSIDE, N.Y. 11361 


VISA/Master Charge accepted 

(718) 229-4540 


*C-tree is a trademark of FairCom 

IBM. SEQUEL. PC. XT, AT are trademarks of IBM Corp. 
MS-DOS and Xenix are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. 

CQL and the CQL Logo are trademarks of Kurtzberg Computer 
Systems. 


CIRCLE NO. 148 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

PC TECH JOURNAL 









































































Develop DB applications 10 fames faster without 
the coding pain.. .you’ll swear it’s Magic 


AJCER Corp. 


MAGIC 


PC 


12/03/86 I 


113.Order Bitry Screen 



I- Exp F 



Kj 








BJ 









RWjfPR 














m 

KJ 








Fa 

Exec. Prog> 

1 No. >| 

1 18 

[item List | 

|Parms>| 

l 2 


ko] 















E 

ml 

SEE 








i>22J 3>23| 5> 2E3[ io> i2iLl 


Visual Programming with Magic PC looks as simple as this. To design an application you quickly place your 
design specifications into menu-driven Task Tables without having to write a single line of code. For example, 
just by highlighting the Execute Program operation on the left screen and also highlighting the Item List 



program in the Program Menu, you tell Magic PC to Zoom into the Item List program through the window 
shown on the right screen. The window will automatically scroll the Item List data horizontally and vertically, 
and allow query, “cut and paste” copy or even creation of new Items. 


FVee yourself from coding 

Database professionals throughout the world are 
discovering a new way to dramatically cut develop¬ 
ment time. 

So can you! With Magic PC, the Visual Database 
Language by Aker. 

Consultants, VAR’s, Software Houses and DP MIS 
professionals: If you develop DB applications for a 
living, now you can tackle any database application 
10 times faster than with your DBMS or 4GL. 

What makes you so fast with Magic PC? 

It’s not magic... it’s simply because Magic PC finally 
frees you from coding. And doesn’t coding take up 
most of your time right now? 

Magic PC lets you leverage your design skills 
instead of wasting your time coding. Now you can 
generate a fully functional prototype in just hours for 
quick customer feedback, and easily refine the same 
prototype to a finished application. 

All you do is enter your system design specifica¬ 
tions directly into Magic PC’s non-procedural menu- 
driven Tables, as ideas come to mind, and Magic PC 
generates the programs for you automatically. 

Magic PC gives you a free hand to design powerful 
data management systems limited only by your own 
imagination. Without the time consuming mechani¬ 
cal details of conventional procedural programming. 
There’s your competitive edge. The rest is up to you. 

Your biggest time saving comes from Magic PC’s 
dynamic adaptation to spontaneous design changes. 
You’re free to change your design on the fly, and 
Magic PC automatically updates your programs and 
data files online. No more time wasted maintaining 
each program manually with every small change. 

Visual Programming Power 

You program with Magic PC by describing your 
data elements with Data Dictionary Tables (Files, 
Fields, Keys), and placing your system design spec¬ 
ifications into Task Description Tables. 

The Tasks can be nested within one another or 
dynamically Link to satellite Tasks, to give you true 
One-to-Many relational database power. 

Only 13 Task Operations harness the power of 
Magic PC. Operations are specific enough to elimi¬ 
nate the need for tiresome coding, yet elastic enough 
to produce robust custom applications. 

Use the Task building blocks to quickly generate 
Online Programs: Screens, Window Zooms, Menus; 
or Batch Programs: Reports, Updates, Data Import/ 
Export and much more. 

You develop the Task Tables visually on the screen 
by highlighting selections from Window Zooms and 
pop-up menu-driven Tables. You’re not forced to fol¬ 
low any particular Table sequence, and there’s no 
coding to slow you down. It’s that simple. 

You can apply mathematical and logical Expres¬ 
sions, or use the built-in Functions directly in the Task 
Tables to automate conditional Task processing, to 
display custom error messages or even invoke exter¬ 
nal applications such as spreadsheet, word processing 


or communication programs, transparently from 
within your Magic PC application programs. 

Magic PC generates your application by fusing all 
your Data Dictionary and Program Tables seamlessly 
into a single Integrated Library, and automatically 
maintains changes online for optimal, bug-free per¬ 
formance, so you always get it right the first time. 

Your application is executed at runtime by a Magic 
Run engine for stand-alone operation, and you can 
distribute your applications at a low cost and protect 
your design. Magic Run has a built-in visual interface 
to manipulate data and get on-the-spot ad-hoc infor¬ 
mation without any commands or syntax, simply by 
highlighting selections from menus. Data validation, 
security and error-checking are done automatically 
for you without programming. 

Magic PC has built-in support for File and Record 
Locking so you can design multi-user applications 
for a local area network, and share data with any 
number of Magic Run users. 

Magic PC integrates the Btrieve file manager inter¬ 
nally, supporting the B-Tree file structure for fast high 
performance data access, and fault tolerant recovery 
during power failures. 

Magic PC’s powerful Window Zoom lets you 
design composite screens with windows to probe 
deep into the application through nested windows and 
manipulate the data underneath. By Zooming from 
any field, your end-user can conveniently query, copy 
or even create data in other programs directly through 
the windows, without stopping their screen session. 
The window frame size does not limit the available 
Data View since each window has built-in horizontal 
and vertical scrolling. 

Magic PC is the professional’s choice: 

IBM France: “IBM encourages Magic PC and 
salutes such evolution...” 

Israeli Air Force: “We were convinced that it was 
not possible to have a design tool powerful enough to 
implement real life applications without a program¬ 
ming language. Magic PC changed our mind.. 

PC Magazine: “If the thought of programming 
database applications makes you tremble, Magic PC 
is for you. The applications generator saves users 
from the need to deal with much dreaded computer 
language code...” 

PC Tech Journal: “Magic PC is probably the best 
integrated database application and screen generator 
that we have seen...very smooth system, and 
smoothness comes at a premium these days...” 

PC World: “Relational data managers and appli¬ 
cation generators that offer power without program¬ 
ming are a bit like perpetual motion machines — very 
rare. Into that vacuum comes Magic PC, a data man¬ 
agement tool without language that is ideal for 
turnkey applications. 

PC Week: “Rather than use a written programming 
language the user is given a great deal of freedom and 
power to create complex relational database applica¬ 
tions.. .this package is a true time-saver...” 


Get your Magic Tutorial for only $19.95 

See for yourself how fast and powerful visual 
programming can be for you. Order your copy of 
Magic PC Tutorial including Tutorial disks, and a 
step-by-step tutorial to quickly set up an Order Entry 
application without coding. All for only $19.95 and 
We’ll credit the Tutorial cost towards the $695 Magic 
PC price for up to 30 days. 

Or save $500 at no risk! 

Yes, for a short time only, qualified VAR’s can save 
almost $500 off the list price and get the complete 
unprotected Magic PC software and documentation 
at a special VAR price of $199* with no risk. Keep 
it at this low price only if it’s as good as we say, or 
return it within 30 days for a full refund if you’re not 
completely satisfied. Act now and you’ll also get 2 
Magic Run (runtime modules) for only $95. 

Order now for immediate delivery 

Call this toll-free number now with your credit card 
or COD charge, or send the Order Coupon below 
today with your check to Aker. 


1-800-345-MAGIC 

in CA 714-250-1718 

HBB BEI 





99 


AMEBloaW 

■BjgRESS 

i ■■ mmm m 

_ _ _ 




Yes, please rush me the following 


Prices include 2nd day shipping 

□ Magic PC Tutorial $ 25.95 

□ Magic PC (VAR’s only) $209.00 

□ Magic PC $705.00 

□ Magic Run $100.00 

in CA add 6% tax $_ 


Total $. 

Ship to:__ 

Address:- 

City/ST/Zip:- 

Phone:- 


OEM inquiries are welcome. Prices valid in North America only. 

*Less S19.95 restocking fee. Limit one per customer, subject to availability. Not for 
resale. 

System requirements: IBM PC, XT, AT and 100% compatibles, PC-DOS 2.0 or later, 
512K and harddisk. 



Aker Corp. 18007 Skypark Cir. B2, Irvine, CA 92714 
Tlx 4931184 AKER UI 

Aker S.A. 11 Route de Florissant CH-1206, Geneve 
Switzerland Tlx 421792 AKER CH 

Trademarks: Magic PC, The Visual Database Language, Window Zoom, Magic 
Run, Magic LAN and Magic PC Tutorial are trademarks of Aker Corp., IBM PC and 
PC-DOS are trademarks of IBM Corp., Novell is a trademark of Novell Inc., Btrieve 
is a trademark of Softcraft Inc. 


CIRCLE NO. 153 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



























































SPEED INFUSION 



The new Condor Editor gives you 
the powerful features you need to 
speed up programming and appli¬ 
cations development on your IBM 
PC/XT/AT or compatible. 

With the Editor you’ll soar through 
your programming tasks with the 
flexibility of: 

■ Multiple integrated windows 

■ Split-screen editing 

■ Editing up to 15 files 
concurrently 

■ One-step keyword file search 
across entire directory 

■ Programmable macros 

■ Access to DOS commands and 
external programs without 
leaving The Editor. 

And there’s more. Buy Condor 3, 
the power relational database man¬ 
agement system for people who 
aren’t power users and we’ll send you 
Condor’s feature-packed Editor, a 
$129.95 value, absolutely free so 
you can make dbms development 
tasks even easier. 

Or, if you simply want the ultimate 
in text editing power right now, order 
your copy of The Condor Editor with 
a 30-day money-back guarantee for 
only $129.95 by calling 313 - 971 - 8880 . 

The new Condor Editor. Setting 
the industry standard in text editing 
capabilities. 


Kqm 

1490 Eisenhower Place, 

Ann Arbor, Ml 48108 


CIRCLE NO. 166 ON READER SERVICE CARD 
126 


memory in the system. Another com¬ 
mon setting, especially on coprocessor 
boards, is to determine the address of 
I/O ports for communication between 
the two processors. In all instances 
where switch or jumper settings are re¬ 
quired, the instructions are sufficiently 
clear to allow a moderately experienced 
user to set them properly. 

The next step is to remove the 
8088 and 8087 processors from the 
motherboard. In most cases, the 8088 is 
plugged into a socket on the accelera¬ 
tor, and a noise-suppressor module is 
plugged into the vacated 8087 socket. 
The accelerator board is then plugged 
into an expansion slot; in some cases, 
the length of connecting cable limits 
the choice of slots to one of the two 
slots next to the 8088 socket. 

Finally, a ribbon cable is connected 
between a double-row pin header on 
the accelerator and the motherboard 
socket that contained the 8088 proces- 

G 'wen all the potential 
problem of grafting a new 
processor into an old system, 
it is surprising that these 
products work at all. 



sor. The instructions for this step are 
typically harder to follow because the 
cables are not usually keyed and the 
plugs that fit into the integrated circuit 
(IC) socket are not well marked. In 
some cases, contrary to convention, the 
striped edge of the ribbon cable is not 
connected to pin 1 of the socket. Those 
manuals that use illustrations rather 
than descriptions of the process are 
much easier to follow. 

FULL-COMPLEMENT BOARDS 

Class III accelerators in this category 
use a full complement of memory for 
the 80286 processor on a separate 16- 
bit bus. Providing this extra amount of 
memory, which can be as much as 2MB 
on one board, is more expensive. 
Applied Reasoning Corporation (ARC). 
Available in versions running at 8, 10, 
or 12.5 MHz, the PC-elevATor is a true 
coprocessor board with 2MB of RAM. It 
can be set to run an 80287 at 4.77 MHz 
(the speed of the 8088 on the mother¬ 
board), 7.2 MHz (one-and-a-half times 
the speed of the 8088), or at two-thirds 
the speed of the 80286. The unit tested 


was a 10-MHz model with the 80287 
running at 7.2 MHz. 

Installation is simpler than the stan¬ 
dard procedure outlined above: the 
board is simply plugged into any empty 
slot. Nothing has to be removed, and 
there are no cables to connect. The PC- 
elevATor can coexist with the 8088 that 
remains on the motherboard. The in¬ 
stallation is completed by copying a se¬ 
ries of utilities and device drivers to a 
boot disk; this may be done either auto¬ 
matically, by running the SETUP pro¬ 
gram, or manually, by following the in¬ 
structions in the documentation. 

The manual that comes with the 
PC-elevATor is easily the best of all of 
the products reviewed. It contains more 
than 90 pages, including a useful table 
of contents and comprehensive index. 
Chapters cover hardware and software 
installation, operation, troubleshooting, 
and technical information on the board 
and the utility programs. The documen¬ 
tation does justice to a complex and 
well-designed product. 

Once installed and running, the 
PC-elevATor is for all practical purposes 
a second computer inside the PC. It has 
its own memory space, all of it accessed 
via a 16-bit bus with zero wait states. 
The memory above 640KB is treated as 
80286 extended memory for protected- 
mode access only. It can be used to in¬ 
stall VDISK, or, by means of a supplied 
utility, to emulate expanded memory 
according to the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft 
expanded memory specification (LIM 
EMS). The original system’s memory, in¬ 
cluding any LIM EMS or AST/Quadram/ 
AshtonTate Enhanced EMS (AQA 
EEMS), can be left in place. Each pro¬ 
cessor has access only to its own 
complement of expanded memory. 

In operation, a system with a PC-el- 
evATor looks and feels impressively fast. 
Writing to the screen is especially rapid, 
but somewhat disconcerting because 
scrolling is very jerky. 

Booting-up the system can be done 
on either processor, depending upon 
the contents of the AUTOEXEC.BAT and 
CONFIG.SYS files. Switching between 
the two is performed by running utility 
programs at the DOS level; ARC calls it 
going “upstairs” to the 80286 or “down¬ 
stairs” to the 8088. The state of the 
downstairs machine is unchanged upon 
returning from upstairs, and even RAM 
disks in both conventional and ex¬ 
panded memory remain intact. But each 
trip upstairs reboots the 80286. Before 
being taken downstairs, the user is 
warned that the contents of upstairs 
memory will not be recovered, and is 
given a chance to cancel the request. In 


PC TECH JOURNAL 








Breaking the 640K DOS Barrier: 



New version of Alsys 
PC AT Ada* compiler 
improves speed, adds 
application developers 
guide, brings seven 
80286 machines to latest 
validation status. 


Alsys’ landmark Ada compiler for the 
PC AT, the first to bring Ada to popu¬ 
lar-priced microcomputers, has been 
upgraded to Version 1.2 with significant 
improvements. 

The new version compiles faster than 
its predecessor, is validated for a full 
range of popular compatibles using the 
latest AJPO test suite 1.7, and includes 
a Developer’s Guide in the documenta¬ 
tion set. The price remains at $2,995 
for single units, including a 4 megabyte 
RAM board. 

Both the original and the newly 
upgraded versions utilize the inherent 
capabilities of the 80286 chip and 
‘ ‘virtual mode’ ’ to eliminate the 640K 
limitations of DOS. These techniques 
permit addressing up to 16 MB of mem¬ 
ory, under the control of DOS, without 
changes to DOS in any way! 

80286 machines validated in the new 
release include HP’s Vectra, Compaq's 
Deskpro286, Sperry’s PC/IT, Zenith’s 
200 series (including the Z-248), Tan¬ 
dy’s 3000 HD, the Goupil/40, and the 
IBM PC AT. The compiler supports 
DOS 3.0 or higher. Ada programs com¬ 
piled on the AT will also run on PCs 
and XTs supporting DOS 2.1 or higher. 

aJbfg 


ALSYS, INC., 

1432 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02154 

PTJ 6/87 

ADA NOW. Tell me more about the 
PC AT Ada compiler. 

Name_ 

Title__ 

Company_ 

Address_ 

City_ 

State/Zip__ 

Phone/Ext_ 


In the US: Alsys Inc., 1432 Main St., Waltham, MA 
02154 Tel: (617) 890-0030 

In the UK: Alsys Ltd., Partridge House, Newtown 
Rd., Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG91EN 
Tel: 44 (491) 579090 

In the rest of the world: Alsys SA, 29, Avenue de 
Versailles, 78170 La Celle St. Cloud, France 
Tel: 33 (1) 3918.12.44 

‘Ada is a registered trademark of the U.S. 
Government (AJPO). Alsys is the trademark of 
Alsys, Inc. References to other computer systems use 
trademarks owned by the respective manufacturers. 
Prices refer to U.S. only. Contact Alsys for prices in 
other countries. 

CIRCLE NO. 141 ON READER SERVICE CARD 















SPEED INFUSION 


addition, the user cannot leave a pro¬ 
gram executing on one processor after 
switching to another. 

The performance of the PC-ele- 
vATor is near the top; the only board to 
exceed it (the STD PC-286) runs at a 25- 
percent faster clock speed. The inability 
to keep the contents of 80286 memory 
when switching processors is the PC-el- 
evATor’s only drawback because the Or¬ 
chid PCturbo 286e shows that the con¬ 
tents of the 80286 memory can be 
maintained after switching. 

Classic Technology, Inc. The 286 speed pak 
is an emulator board equipped with 
1MB of RAM. It comes in versions run¬ 
ning at 8 or 10 MHz, with the single¬ 
speed 80287 clock running at two-thirds 
of that rate. The '8-MHz unit is the ver¬ 
sion reviewed here. 

With the exception that any con¬ 
ventional memory (below 640KB) on 
expansion boards must be removed or 
disabled, installing the 286 speed pak fol¬ 
lows the standard example. A potential 
for error in the installation process ex¬ 
ists because the 8088 chip mounts on 
the board facing in the opposite direc¬ 
tion from all of the other chips; the 
socket is plainly marked, however, and 
the manual gives clear instructions. The 
entire installation process is described 
thoroughly, and, in general, the docu¬ 
mentation is quite good. 

The system boots up on the 8088 
or the 80286, depending on the posi¬ 
tion of a toggle switch on the rear 
bracket. According to the documenta¬ 
tion, this switch is designed to be used 
only when the system is powered 
down; switching it while the system is 
running may cause a reset, or, more 
likely, may cause it to lock up. 

Software is provided for a print 
spooler and a RAM disk. The latter is a 
terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) pro¬ 
gram, not a device driver, and it emu¬ 
lates a standard diskette, so it’s capacity 
is limited to 360KB. 

Another feature is the connector to 
the 16-bit, on-board memory bus. This 
allows connecting additional extended 
memory on other expansion cards 
(from the same company only), up to 
the processor’s limit of 16MB. 

Although it is a well-designed and 
reliable board, the Classic 286 speed pak 
provides lackluster performance due to 
its modest clock rates and insertion of a 
wait state into memory accesses. The re¬ 
sults obtained with the reviewed 8-MHz 
board are not significantly better than 
those obtained with the faster caching 
boards. The 10-MHz version would, no 
doubt, provide more interesting per¬ 
formance results. 


Orchid Technology. This company manu¬ 
factures both a frill-complement board 
and a caching board. The PCturbo 286e 
is the full-complement coprocessor 
board. Although it comes with 1MB of 
RAM on board, only 704KB of this is us¬ 
able (640KB with an EGA) because the 
rest is taken up by system overhead. As 
an option, an additional megabyte may 
be added as extended memory for ac- ' 
cess only in the protected mode of the 
80286 or for use by RAM disks, such as 
VDISK included with DOS. The 80286 
clock speed is 8 MHz, and the 80287 
clock may be set by the user at either 
4.77 or 8 MHz. Installation, is simple, re¬ 
quiring no removal of any parts from 
the motherboard; all communications 
between the accelerator and the host 
system is made via the bus slot. A pro¬ 
gram is provided to set up the software 
automatically on a boot. disk. 

With the PCturbo 286e installed, 
the user definitely perceives a speed-up 
in operation. Screen updates are notice- 

TL Orchid PCturbo 286e 
even allows multiprocess¬ 
ing—that is, the simulta¬ 
neous execution of pro¬ 
grams on each processor. 


ably faster, and, unlike on the ARC PC- 
elevATor, scrolling is smooth. A signifi¬ 
cant amount of video “snow” is appar¬ 
ent on the screen, but an installation 
option can eliminate it at the expense 
of somewhat slower screen operations. 

The integration between the 80286 
on the accelerator and the 8088 on the 
motherboard is better than with the PC- 
elevATor. Switching execution from one 
processor to another is performed by 
running programs at the DOS level. Un¬ 
like the PC-elevATor, the PCturbo 286e 
does not reboot the processor being 
switched to, so no data in memory are 
lost. Even the RAM drives that are set 
up on the 8088 machine (including any 
in EMS memory) are available to the 
program running on the 80286. More 
significantly, the user can bring up an 
application on each processor and 
switch between them. Because switch¬ 
ing is done by DOS commands, the ap¬ 
plications must allow shelling to the 
operating system or provide some other 
method of executing DOS programs. 
This process would be more convenient 


if Orchid supplied a resident utility that 
could switch from within programs in 
response to hot keys. 

The PCturbo 286e even allows mul¬ 
tiprocessing—that is, the simultaneous 
execution of programs on each of the 
processors. This cannot be done with 
existing DOS programs, but requires 
ones written according to the specifica¬ 
tions in the technical reference manual 
provided in a text file on disk. 

The user’s manual is quite good, 
but it should have used diagrams in¬ 
stead of verbal descriptions to point out 
the locations of the many jumpers that 
must be set during installation. After the 
board is configured and then plugged 
into an expansion slot, a set-up pro¬ 
gram is run to set up configuration files 
for each processor. The manual also 
provides sufficient information to allow 
an experienced user to set up or mod¬ 
ify the software configuration manually, 
without having to go through the menu- 
driven set-up program. 

The board’s local 16-bit bus is ac¬ 
cessible by means of a double-row Berg 
connector along the top edge of the 
board. The primary purpose is to con¬ 
nect to a special model of the Orchid 
EGA video board, thus placing the 
video RAM on the 16-bit bus. The pin¬ 
outs of this bus connector are docu¬ 
mented in the manual, allowing the 
construction of customized add-ons. 

Although the Orchid PCturbo 286e 
is not the fastest of the accelerators 
tested, its well-designed interface with 
the host system and its expandability 
make it an excellent choice among the 
high-end accelerator boards. 

Seattle Telecom & Data (STD). An emula¬ 
tor board with 640KB of memory, the 
PC-286 is available with clock speeds of 
6, 8, 10, or 12.5 MHz for the 80286, and 
5, 8, or 10 MHz for the 80287. These 
speeds must be specified when the 
board is ordered, as neither can be 
changed by the user. The unit tested for 
this review ran-the 80286 at 12.5 MHz 
(the fastest of all the accelerators 
tested) and the 80287 at 8 MHz. 

The standard approach for installa¬ 
tion is followed except that the 8088 is 
not reinstalled on the accelerator; there¬ 
fore, no provision is made for switching 
speeds. To complete the installation, all 
memory on expansion boards in the 
I/O slots must be removed or disabled. 
The manual is brief and to the point, 
consisting mainly of installation instruc¬ 
tions. The instructions for connecting 
the ribbon cable between the board 
and the vacated 8088 socket needs bet¬ 
ter illustration because the cable is not 
keyed at the accelerator end, and the 


128 


PC TECH JOURNAL 



“How to protect your software 
by letting people copy itV 

By Dick Ere ft, President of Software Security 


Hard Disk Installation : Simply copy program disk 
to hard disk usin g DOS Command - Copy A:*.* C: 

rogram Back-ups : You may make as many copies of 
the program diskette as you wish. 

Data Back-ups : Use normal back-up and restore 
commands, including backing up sub-directories containing 
program files. 

Networks : This product may be 
»works. Follow the same installation 
m page 102 of this manual. The Block 
“ with the normal operation of any 



Soon all software installation procedures will be as straightforward as this. 
The only difference will be whether you include the option to steal your 
product or not. 


Inventor and 
entrepreneur, 
Dick Erett, 
explains his 
company’s 
view on the 
protection of intellectual 
property._ 

crucial point that 
even sophisticated 
software develop¬ 
ment companies and the 
trade press seem to be miss¬ 
ing or ignoring is this: 
Software protection must 
be understood to be a 
distinctively different 
concept from that com¬ 
monly referred to as 
copy protection. 
Fundamentally, software 
protection involves devising 
a method that prevents 
unauthorized use of a 
program, without restricting 
a legitimate user from 
making any number of 
additional copies or prevent¬ 
ing program operation via 
hard disk or LANs. 

Logic dictates that mag¬ 
netic media can no more 
protect itself from misuse 
than a padlock can lock itself. 

Software protection must 
reside outside the actual 
storage media. The technique 
can then be made as tamper 
proof as deemed necessary. 

If one is clever enough, 
patent law can be brought 
to bear on the method. 

Software protection is at 
a crossroads and the choices 
are clear. You can give 
product away to a segment 


of tne market, or take a 
stand against the theft of 
your intellectual property. 

“ .. giving your software 
away is fine ... ” 

We strongly believe that 
giving your software away 
is fine, if you make the 
decision to do so. However, 
if the public’s sense of ethics 
is determining company 
policy, then you are no 
longer in control. 

We have patented a device 
that protects your software 
while allowing unlimited 
archival copies and unin¬ 
hibited use of hard disks and 
LANs. The name of this 
product is The BLOCK™ 

The BLOCK is the only 
patented method we know 
of to protect your investment. 
It answers all the complaints 
of reasonable people con¬ 
cerning software protection. 


In reality, the only people 
who could object are those 
who would like the option 
of stealing your company’s 
product. 

“. ..eliminating the ratio¬ 
nale for copy-busting... ” 

Since The BLOCK allows 
a user to make unlimited 
archival copies the rationale 
for copy-busting programs 
is eliminated. 

The BLOCK is fully pro¬ 
tected by federal patent law 
rather than the less effective 
copyright statutes. The law 
clearly prohibits the produc¬ 
tion of work-alike devices 
to replace The BLOCK. 


The BLOCK attaches to 
any communications port of 
virtually any microcomputer. 
It comes with a unique 
customer product number 
programmed into the circuit. 

The BLOCK is transpar¬ 
ent to any device attached to 
the port. Once it is in place 
users are essentially unaware 
of its presence. The BLOCK 
may be daisy-chained to 
provide security for more 
than one software package. 

Each software developer 
devises their own procedure 
for accessing The BLOCK 
to confirm a legitimate user. 
If it is not present, then the 
program can take appro¬ 
priate action. 

“ . .possibilities ... 
limited only by your 
imagination... ” 

The elegance of The 
BLOCK lies in its simplicity. 
Once you understand the 
principle of The BLOCK, 
hundreds of possibilities will 
manifest themselves, limited 
only by your imagination. 

Your efforts, investments 
and intellectual property 
belong to you, and you have 
an obligation to protect 
them. Let us help you safe¬ 
guard what’s rightfully yours. 
Call today for our brochure, 
or a demo unit.” 



oftware 

ecurity inc. 


870 High Ridge Road Stamford. Connecticut 

203 329 8870 


06905 




CIRCLE NO. 189 ON READER SERVICE CARD 
















SPEED INFUSION 


stripe on the ribbon cable does not go 
to pin 1 of the socket, which is in direct 
contrast to standard convention. 

Memory expansion beyond 640KB 
is made possible by the provision for 
connecting to STD’s Top Board, an ex¬ 
panded memory board, via a header 
cable that extends the board’s local 
16-bit bus. The combination makes up 
to 8MB of fast memory available to the 
80286, but this memory is all paged, not 
the AT-style extended memory that is 
accessible in protected mode. 

The STD PC-286 is a simple, no¬ 
frills full-complement accelerator that 
achieves the highest measured perfor¬ 
mance in this review by using the 
brute-force method of applying plenty 
of megahertz. One potential drawback 
is that it has no fall-back position in 
cases where its speed proves excessive 
for a particular program or peripheral. 

CACHE-MEMORY BOARDS 

In direct contrast to full-complement ac¬ 
celerators, caching boards provide only 
a small portion of memory space, using 
it as a high-speed cache. This method of 
handling memory can result in signifi¬ 
cant speed increases and for less cost 
than fiill-complement boards. 

MicroWay. A half-length board with a 
clock running independently of the 
motherboard, the FastCACHE 286 is avail¬ 
able in both 10-MHz and 12-MHz mod¬ 
els; the latter version was tested, and, 
along with the PCSG Breakthru 286, is 
the fastest of the caching boards re¬ 
viewed. The clock for the 80287 may be 
set at either 6 MHz or the same rate as 
the main processor clock; the review 
unit came with an 80287 rated for 12 
MHz. The cache consists of 8KB of static 
RAM rated at 55 nanoseconds (ns). 

Installation follows the standard 
method. The documentation consists of 
15 pages stapled together, but the con¬ 
tent is quite good. The step-by-step in¬ 
stallation and operating instructions are 
clear and complete, and diagrams are 
included of both the FastCACHE 286 
board and the host system’s mother¬ 
board to aid in locating the appropriate 
IC sockets, jumpers, and switches. 

Speed at power-up is controlled by 
one of two toggle switches on the rear 
panel. Switching speeds requires pow¬ 
ering down; flipping this switch during 
operation causes the system to crash. 
The second switch enables and disables 
the memory cache; this one can be 
switched while the system is running 
with no ill effects. Caching also can be 
governed by software: either a transient 
program or a memory-resident program 
that responds to hot keys. 


The MicroWay FastCACHE 286 oper¬ 
ates reliably, and its performance is 
near the top of the caching boards. 
Mountain Computer, Inc. The RaceCard 
286 runs at a clock speed of 7.2 MHz, 
derived from the motherboard oscilla¬ 
tor signal. The 80287 clock can be set at 
either 4.77 MHz (the same speed as the 
8088 clock on the motherboard) or at 
7.2 MHz. The size of the cache is 8KB. 
Installing the RaceCard 286 follows the 
standard approach, except that the 8088, 
once removed from the motherboard, 
is not reinstalled on the accelerator. 
Thus, no provision is made for switch¬ 
ing between operating at high-speed 
operation on the 80286 processor and 
normal speed on the 8088. 

This accelerator is identical to the 
Victor SpeedPac 286 and its perfor¬ 
mance reflects that fact. They only vary 
in the documentation, and even here, 

I n direct contrast to full- 
complement accelerators, 
caching boards make avail¬ 
able for use only a small 
portion of memory space. 


the difference is in style, not substance. 
Both provide adequate installation and 
operating instructions. 

Orchid Technology. Whereas this com¬ 
pany’s PCturbo 286e is an imaginative 
piece of engineering, its TinyTurbo 286 
is a very ordinary caching board with a 
synchronous clock. This accelerator 
shares the characteristics of the other 
boards of this type: 7.2-MHz clock 
speed, 80287 operation at either 4.77 or 
7.2 MHz, and 8KB of cache memory. As 
a result, its performance is virtually 
identical to that of the accelerators from 
Mountain, PCT, and Victor. 

Installation is standard, except that 
the cable connecting the board to the 
8088 socket is very short, requiring that 
the TinyTurbo 286 be mounted in the 
slot immediately adjacent to the socket. 
A longer cable can be special-ordered 
from Orchid for $20. Because no soft¬ 
ware is provided with the TinyTurbo 
286, the documentation covers only in¬ 
stallation and operation, which it does 
more than adequately. 

Operation on the 80286 or the 
8088 is controlled by a switch on the 
rear bracket. Changing speeds causes a 
reset, but does not require powering 


down the system. Caching is controlled 
by a jumper setting, so disabling it re¬ 
quires opening up the system unit. 
Personal Computer Support Group (PCSG). 
Running faster than most of the caching 
boards, the Breakthru 286 has a 12-MHz 
asynchronous clock. The speed of the 
80287 may be set at either the PC moth¬ 
erboard’s rate of 4.77 MHz or the accel¬ 
erator’s own 12-MHz speed. The size of 
the cache is 16KB instead of the usual 
8KB. As a result of the high clock speed 
and large cache, its performance leads 
all the caching boards tested. 

Jumpers enable the caching of 
code from ROM as well as code and 
data from motherboard RAM. In the test 
system, however, enabling ROM caching 
rendered the diskette drives unusable, 
presumably because the timing routines 
in the ROM BIOS run too quickly. All 
attempts to access the diskette drives re¬ 
sult in a “general failure” error. The 
manufacturer confirmed that ROM cach¬ 
ing is not possible with certain versions 
of the BIOS and certain models of disk 
drives. Accordingly, all performance 
tests were recorded with ROM caching 
disabled. RAM caching may be turned 
on and off by running a utility at the 
DOS prompt or from a batch file, but 
no provision is made for disabling the 
80286 and running on the 8088. 

Installation follows the usual pat¬ 
tern except that the 8088 is not rein¬ 
stalled on the accelerator board. The in¬ 
stallation instructions are adequate, but 
somewhat frustrating because they de¬ 
scribe the process three times. First, a 
half-page overview is presented, then a 
two-page summary for experienced us¬ 
ers, and finally a step-by-step procedure 
giving the full details. Only the detailed 
description is self-sufficient. For exam¬ 
ple, the location of the jumpers for set¬ 
ting the clock speed for the 80287 is 
given only in the full description, but to 
find it the experienced user is forced to 
wade through yet another description 
of how to remove the system unit cover 
and identify the 8088 and 8087 sockets 
on the motherboard. Worse, the 80287 
socket on the Breakthru 286 board is 
notched at both ends, requiring careful 
scrutiny of the documentation to deter¬ 
mine the chip’s proper orientation. 

Apart from the installation instruc¬ 
tions, the manual is quite good. It in¬ 
cludes a large amount of technical de¬ 
scription of the design, detailed infor¬ 
mation on installation in a Compaq, and 
general aspects of installation in c\one 
systems. Overall, this is the best of the 
caching boards reviewed because of its 
operating speed and the quality of the 
technical material included. 


130 


PC TECH JOURNAL 








FINALLY. 

FAST, EASY FLOWCHARTS. 

AT LAST...AN ON-SCREEN FLOWCHART PROCESSOR THAT KNOWS 
ABOUT FLOWCHARTS-NOT JUST ANOTHER 
"SCREEN DRAW" PROGRAM THAT MAKES YOU DO MOST OF THE WORK. 

Interactive EasyFlow is a powerful full-screen graphics program dedicated to flowcharts and organizational charts. With this 
program you can quickly compose charts on the screen. More important, you can easily modify charts so they are always up 
to date. 

FEATURES: 

• Text is automatically centered, character by character, within 
shapes as you type it 

• Text formatting controls allow you to over-ride the automatic 
formatting where desired 

• Lines are created by specifying the starting and ending 
points—the program automatically generates the route 

• Cut and paste facility allows arbitrary chart fragments to be 
moved, copied, rotated, reflected, or sent to/from disk 

• Shape insert-delete and row/column insert-delete 

• Charts can be up to 417 characters wide by 225 lines high. 

Charts too wide for the printer are automatically printed in 
strips 

• Charts can be larger than the screen—the window into the 
chart scrolls both horizontally and vertically as necessary 

• Works with many popular matrix printers including Epson, 

Toshiba 24 pin printers (3xx and 13xx series), IBM graphics 
printer and compatibles. Full support for HP LaserJet and 
LaserJet Plus. Works with HP 7475A (and compatible) plot¬ 
ters. Can be used with any printer when nongraphic (char¬ 
acter) output is acceptable 

• All standard flowcharting shapes included 

• Most shapes supplied in large, medium, and small sizes 

• Extensive manual (100 plus pages) includes many examples 

• Context sensitive "help" facility provides immediate as¬ 
sistance at any time 

• Any number of titles can be placed on a chart 

• Commentary text blocb can be placed anywhere in the 
chart 

• Fast—written in assembly language 

• Many more features 

Requires at least 320K memory, DOS-2 or higher and an IBM 

or Hercules compatible graphics card. On EGA, full 

640 x 350 resolution is used. 


WHAT YOU WILL SEE WHILE 
EDITIHG A CHART: 

STATUS BAR tells you what Interactive EasyFlow is doing at all 
times. 

TEXT/MESSAGE WINDOW is used to enter user text and to 
display messages from Interactive EasyFlow. 

CURRENT SHAPE WINDOW shows the content of the current 
flowchart shape (the one under the SHAPE CURSOR) in com¬ 
plete detail. 

SHAPE CURSOR shows where you are in the chart Cursor keys 
move it around; chart window scrolls if you run off the edge of 
the window. 

CHART WINDOW gives you an overview of your chart—can 
be "normal" view, "close-up" view, or "wide-angle" view. 



ORDER DIRECT FOR ONLY $149.95 
ORDER DESK: 1-800-267-0668 

Plus $2.00 shipping and handling (US and Canada), $10.00 
(foreign). Payment by MO, check, VISA, MasterCard, or com¬ 
pany PO. Rush orders accepted ($15.00 shipping and han¬ 
dling; US and Canada only). Rush orders received by noon will 
be delivered the next business day to most locations. 

Interactive EasyFlow 
by 

HavenTree Software Limited 

P.O. Box 1093-N 
Thousand Island Park, NY 13692 
Information: (613) 544-6035 ext 48 
FAX Number: (613) 544-9632 


CIRCLE NO. 113 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



SPEED INFUSION 

PC Technologies, Inc. (PCT). The 286 Ex¬ 
press accelerator card derives its clock 
speed from the motherboard oscillator 
signal to run the 80286 at 7.2 MHz. The 
80287 may be run at either 4.77 or 7.2 
MHz; the tests were performed at the 
higher speed. The amount of cache 
memory is 8KB. Installation is standard. 

A switch on the rear bracket 
chooses between 80286 and 8088 oper¬ 
ation. Unlike some of the other boards, 
the 286 Express allows this selection to 
be made while the system is running. 
Flipping the switch resets the system. 


Caching may be enabled or dis¬ 
abled by running a DOS utility or by in¬ 
stalling a resident program that reacts 
to hot keys. The assembler code se¬ 
quence for controlling the cache is also 
given. The documentation provides de¬ 
tailed installation instructions for IBM, 
Compaq, and Leading Edge computers, 
but is short on technical details. 

Although the PCT 286 Express Card 
provides overall performance that is 
about on a par with the other synchro¬ 
nous caching boards reviewed, it does 
not distinguish itself from them. 







PC Tools puts together all the popular features of the Norton Utilities* 
with a powerful DOS interface and makes them resident like Sidekick*. 
Now includes the best of the MACE™ utilities & FastBack™ as well! 

So you can execute virtually any DOS command even when you’re using 
another program! 

With PC Tools, you can 

• UNFORMAT a hard disk. 

• COMPRESS a hard disk for improved performance. 

• BACKUP and RESTORE a hard disk FAST. 

• UNDELETE an accidentally erased file. 

•FORMAT a disk. 

•COPY files. 

• MOVE files and reorganize subdirectories with ease. 

• LOOK at (and even edit) a file. 

• SEARCH for a file name or text within a file. 

• PRINT a file (as text or hex and ASCII). 

And much more! 

All without ever leaving your spreadsheet or database manager or 
word processor or... 

System Requirements: IBM PC, PS/2 or compatible, 256K, uses only 
64K in resident mode. Supports floppy disks, hard disks and 3 V 2 " disks 
(including 1.44 meg diskettes), as well as Lotus/Intel expanded memory! 


To Order: Call 503/244-5782,8-5 

(West Coast time), M-F, with your 

j n hand. Or send a check, 
include $3 s/h, $8 overseas. 

$39.95 

We also have backup utilities for the IBM, Macintosh, Apple H, Commodore 64/128 and Atari ST. 


Central Point 
Software 

INCORPORATED 

9700S.W. CapitolHwy., #100 

Portland, OR 97219 


'FastBack, Mace. Norton Utilities and Sidekick are registered trademarks ol Fifth Generation Systems, Paul Mace Software. Peter Norton and Borland InternationaJ. respectively. 


CIRCLE NO. 232 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Sigma Designs. The TurboCache 286 is 
unusual among the caching accelerators 
because it is a full-length board. The 
reason is that it accepts a video adapter 
on a daughterboard; either a standard 
EGA or a color card with a resolution 
of 640 by 400 pixels may be added. 
Video I/O will then be performed via a 
16-bit bus, potentially speeding up the 
display performance of the system. Be¬ 
cause a video adapter has no bearing 
on the board’s acceleration, the unit 
tested did not have one installed. 

The asynchronous clock rate is 10 
MHz for the 80286; the rate for the 
80287 can be set to one of four speeds 
between 4.77 and 10 MHz. The fastest 
speed was the one used for this review. 
As shipped from the company, the 
cache consists of 16KB of memory; it 
may be increased to 64KB by replacing 
three static RAM chips. Installing the 
TurboCache 286 follows die standard 
procedure in all respects. Documenta¬ 
tion is good, with adequate illustrations 
in place of lengthy descriptions, but the 
advanced user will not find much in the 
way of technical information. 

A toggle switch on the rear bracket 
determines whether the system boots 
up on the 80286 or the 8088. Flipping 
this switch when the system is running 
causes a reset, but it does not require 
powering down die system. The Turbo¬ 
Cache is the only one of the caching ac¬ 
celerators that allows switching between 
processors by means of software and 
hot keys. Thus, it is possible to start a 
program at slow speed (to get through 
a copy protection scheme, for example) 
and then to switch it into high gear to 
actually run the program. The only 
complaint about this switching scheme 
is that the switching program must be 
resident in memory. Preferably, the 
user should have the option of running 
a transient program to avoid tying up 
memory or causing conflicts with other 
memory-resident programs. 

The Sigma TurboCache 286 pro¬ 
vides reasonable performance for a 
caching board, and its method of 
switching between processors is the 
most Oexible of the caching boards. The 
add-on video capability of the Turbo¬ 
Cache 286 could be especially impor¬ 
tant for systems that need extra video 
display performance or those that are 
short of expansion slots. 

Victor Technologies, Inc. The SpeedPac 
286 is identical to the Mountain Race- 
Card 286; the only difference between 
these two synchronous accelerators is 
in the documentation. Although both 
adequately describe the installation, op¬ 
eration, and specifications of the accel- 


132 


PC TECH JOURNAL 











Paae. 


Whal You See 
is m 
You Gel 
(WYSJWVG) 


Jidbilfwtfffc** '■* 


llltsidtiwl oal 

Desktop In o*rr*lhi»n &««' 

Publishing 


0.*s0***» JSCTfci. 

" saSHS 

A***" 1 . , 

sSCT***- 

g££s ; 


Theea#rft*x*-<*>*** ,,> r : *™rfui> K w bfW* 

woi?!l!us?.«‘W» oc ' w f pobSsWnjt ^ 

*«niD« R-tiKCvm^of S (rtlp 3S*to*W* 
b US «ws3C'<a«“' ! *- ,tt,wc 
B^aecMfMiawr ; ||C<1J ^ s » e rfioJ*y , s 

__ 

lore Kj<** *!■'■• 8 |,rn ® st * 
V'P*wN=^ ,s ' U,cb,?!P '' 

Mk-a/ •*?*?.‘ee£L2S. 


^wiewMw 

„,vtu»«« 


LflSRUIEU.PUB 


PageMaker 



making it to the big screen, 
Sigma Designs has what it 


At least in order to get on¬ 
screen resolution of this qual¬ 
ity. And to get an accurate rep¬ 
resentation of what a facing- 
page spread —one that you 
can actually read —will look 
like when it’s printed. 

Introducing the Laser- 
View™ Display System. 

From Sigma Designs. 

LaserView consists of a 
large screen monitor, complete 
with display adapter, available 
in your choice of 15 and 19* 
inch models. Big enough to 
put everything from simple 


graphs and charts to Desktop 
Publishing to CAD in an 
entirely new perspective. 

And at virtually full size. 

Offering a noninterlaced 
screen resolution of 1664 x 
1200 —equal to 8 EGA™-sized 
or 11 Macintosh™ screens— 
LaserV iew’s “easy-on-the-eyes” 
paper-white display brings 
workstation-quality graphics 
and text to the PC level. It can 
even generate four levels of 
gray for increased on-screen 
detail in photos and drawings. 

LaserView works with 
all programs that run under 


Windows™ and GEM™ in¬ 
cluding programs like Aldus 
Pagemaker™ and Ventura 
Publisher™—plus familiar 
PC programs like Lotus 1-2-3™ 
and AutoCAD? 1 We’ve even 
included a copy of PC Paint¬ 
brush Plus® to help you get 
started with LaserView. 

So call Sigma Designs. 
Because if you’re serious 
m; 


CIRCLE NO. 227 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


See Us At Spring Comdex— 
Atlanta, Booth No. 424 


Sigma Designs Inc. 
46501 Landing Parkway 
Fremont, CA 94538 
415.770.0100 


SIGMA DESIGNS 


Trademarks: LaserView: Sigma Designs, Inc.; EGA: International Business Machines Corporation; Macintosh: Apple Computer; Windows: Microsoft, Inc.: GEM: Digital Research Inc.; Pagemaker: Aldus Corporation; Ventura Publisher: 
Ventura Software Inc.; Lotus 1-2-3: Lotus Development Corporation; AutoCAD: AutoDesk Inc.; PC Paintbrush Plus: Z-Soft Corporation. *For commercial use only. 



















SPEED INFUSION 


TABLE 2: 286 Accelerator Performance 


FULL-COMPLEMENT ACCELERATORS 



IBM 

ARC 

CLASSIC 

ORCHID 

STD 

MODEL 

PC/AT 

PC-elevATor 

286 SPEED PAK 

PCturbo 286e 

PC-286 

MEASURED CLOCK RATES (MHz) 
80286 clock 

8.0 

10.0 

8.0 

8.0 

12.5 

80287 clock 

3.3 

7.2 

5.3 

8.0 

8.2 

MEMORY ACCESS" 

Wait states 

1 

0 

1 

0 

1 

Bus bandwidth 60 

4.51 

8.34 

4.19 

7.01 

7.14 

BENCHMARK RESULTS 0 

ATFLOAT 

1.84 

2.65 

1.95 

2.73 

3.15 

Assembly of VDISK 

3.87 

5.39 

3.54 

4.36 

5.68 

1-2-3 recalculation 

4.10 

4.10 

1.50 

4.55 

4.00 

dBASE sort 

1.98 

1.18 

1.14 

1.75 

1.21 

Word repagination 

3.85 

4.76 

3.57 

5.00 

5.55 


a For caching boards, access is to system memory, not the cache. 
b iMeasured with the BUSPERF program. 

c Values are ratios of the speed to that of a standard PC running at 4.77 MHz. 


erator, the Victor manual has one glar¬ 
ing omission: it does not list the ad¬ 
dress and telephone number of the 
manufacturer. These are found only on 
the outside wrapper of the box and on 
the warranty card, neither one of which 
is likely to be available if problems 
arise after the installation is completed. 

As expected, the performance of 
the SpeedPac 286 is identical to that of 
the Mountain RaceCard 286, and very 
close to that of the other two synchro¬ 
nous caching boards (PCT 286 Express 
and Orchid TinyTurbo 286.) The choice 
between the Victor and the Mountain 
board, and indeed any other cache 
memory accelerator that operates at 7.2 
MHz, boils down to price alone because 
their features and their performance are 
virtually the same. 

COMMAND PERFORMANCE 

The system in which these boards were 
tested was the same one used in the 
previous two articles of this series: an 
IBM PC-2 with two 360KB diskette 
drives and a Seagate 20MB hard disk, 
256KB on the motherboard, backfilled 
to 640KB by an AST RAMpage board 
containing a total of 2MB of memory. 
Other boards in the system were an 
IBM CGA and a Xebec 1220 diskette/ 
hard-disk drive controller. The same 
test programs were used, but they were 
augmented by test equipment. The re¬ 
sults are listed in table 2. 

The clock speed measurements 
were made with a frequency counter. In 
most cases, the measured results con¬ 
firmed the published clock rates, but 
some manufacturers state nominal rates 
that are slightly above the actual perfor¬ 
mance. For example, the synchronous 


boards nominally rated at 8 MHz actu¬ 
ally run at 7.2 MHz. 

The bus bandwidth was measured 
with the BUSPERF program, published 
in part 1 of this series. BUSPERF meas¬ 
ures the execution time of a straight- 
line sequence of instructions that take 
longer to fetch from memory than to 
execute. Because processors of the 8086 
family overlap execution and instruction 
fetching, the elapsed time measures 
only the longer of these activities, 
which indicates how much time it ac¬ 
tually took to transfer a known amount 
of data from memory to the processor. 

BUSPERF measures only the band¬ 
width to main memory, not the band¬ 
width to the cache. The results are re¬ 
ported as a ratio to the bus bandwidth 
of the base IBM PC running at 4.77 
MHz—that is, the numbers in the table 
indicate how many times faster each of 
the boards is than the standard PC bus. 

The number of wait states was de¬ 
termined with a logic analyzer by moni¬ 
toring the level on the NOT READY pin 
of the accelerator board’s processor. 

The performance results are re¬ 
ported in table 2 relative to the speed 
of a standard PC running at 4.77 MHz. 
The same results for an 8-MHz AT, also 
relative to the PC, are listed for compar¬ 
ison. Dividing each board’s results by 
the AT results yields that board’s perfor¬ 
mance ratio relative to the AT. 

MEASURING UP 

Although the measured results are 
spread out over a factor of about three, 
subjectively the boards can be grouped 
into two broad categories. The ARC PC- 
elevATor, Orchid PCturbo 286e, and 
STD PC-286 provide an impressive 


speed-up that is immediately noticeable. 
For many applications, they match or 
exceed the performance of an AT. By 
no coincidence, all of these are full- 
complement boards, and the cost of 
providing the improvement can ap¬ 
proach that of a low-end AT compatible. 

The caching boards provide a 
lower level of improvement. In most 
cases, this improvement is not instantly 
recognizable, but is eventually noticed 
—especially when compared with an 
unaccelerated PC. A significant spread is 
apparent in their performance, how¬ 
ever, and the three faster caching accel¬ 
erators (the MicroWay FastCACHE 286, 
PCSG Breakthru 286, and Sigma Turbo- 
Cache 286) provide a subjective in¬ 
crease approaching that of the full- 
complement boards. For some applica¬ 
tions, especially compute-intensive 
ones, a caching board approaches the 
performance of an AT at a cost that is a 
great deal lower than either a full- 
complement board or a complete 
80286-based system. 

In choosing from among these 
products, the differences between the 
classifications (caching versus full-com¬ 
plement, coprocessor versus emulator) 
are more significant than the differ¬ 
ences between the boards in any one 
category. In the full-complement cate¬ 
gory, the flexibility offered by the co¬ 
processors makes them preferable to 
the emulators, with the Orchid PCturbo 
286e comfortably in first place, followed 
by the ARC PC-elevATor as a reasonable 
second choice. In caching boards, the 
products that rise above the rest are all 
three of the asynchronous designs: the 
MicroWay FastCACHE 286, PCSG Break- 
thru 286, and Sigma TurboCache 286. 


134 


PC TECH JOURNAL 













CACHE-MEMORY ACCELERATORS 



MICROWAY 

MOUNTAIN 

ORCHID 

PCSG 

PCT 

SIGMA 

VICTOR 

FastCACHE 286 

RaceCard-286 

TinyTurbo 286 

Breakthru 286 

286 Express Card 

TurboCache 286 

SpeedPac 286 

12.0 

7.2 

7.2 

12.0 

7.2 

10.0 

7.2 

12.0 

7.2 

7.2 

12.0 

7.2 

10.0 

7.2 

10-11 

4-5 

4 

10-11 

4 

8-9 

4-5 

0.80 

0.97 

1.00 

0.80 

TOO . 

0.80 

0.97 

3.42 

2.28 

2.23 

3.56 

2.25 

3.09 

2.28 

2.00 

2.05 

2.06 

2.86 

2.07 

2.91 

2.05 

1.55 

1.40 

1.40 

1.55 

1.40 

1.52 

1.40 

1.19 

1.19 

1.20 

1.20 

1.17 

1.18 

1.19 

2.39 

2.38 

2.38 

3.20 

2.38 

3.21 

2.38 


Some of the 80286 accelerators exceed the performance of a PC/AT on compute-intensive operations. The figures for the 
asynchronous caching boards illustrate the trade-off they have made of lower bus performance for higher clock speed. 


The design of all the accelerators 
shows attention to software compatibili¬ 
ty. Except for obsolete versions of copy¬ 
protected software, no significant com¬ 
mercial applications failed to run with 
any of these boards installed. 

Given the complexity of these 
products and the potential for compati¬ 
bility problems, the high degree of reli¬ 
ability and the ease of installation and 
operation are very commendable. None 
of them had any recurring problems; 
any problems that did come up were 
promptly solved by the technical sup¬ 
port personnel of the respective manu¬ 
facturers. In terms of reliability, compat¬ 
ibility, and support, all of these prod¬ 
ucts are almost equivalent. 

A BOARD FOR THE FUTURE? 

The question of whether an 80286 
board can turn a PC into a reasonable 
facsimile of an AT cannot be answered 
categorically. For some purposes, an ac¬ 
celerator can match or exceed the ATs 
speed of computation. For others, the 
slower hard disks available for the PC 
will limit its performance to something 
less than the AT’s level. 

Regarding compatibility with the 
upcoming OS/2, the outlook is unclear. 
It is safe to say, however, that caching 
boards cannot support a protected- 
mode operating system because they do 
not have a protected address space. On 
the other end of the spectrum, copro¬ 
cessor boards have a much better 
chance of being compatible because 
they do provide the memory and bus 
structure specific to the 80286. But 
problems might arise because these ac¬ 
celerators are not designed primarily 
for protected-mode operation. 


This is not to say, however, that a 
PC equipped with an 80286 board is 
not capable of running OS/2. Once that 
operating system becomes well-known, 
designing a board for it, in all likeli¬ 
hood, will be technically feasible. It is 
highly unlikely, however, that these ex¬ 
isting boards conform to the require¬ 
ments of OS/2. Therefore, consider an 
80286 accelerator for providing all or 
part of an AT’s performance with cur¬ 
rent applications and systems software, 
but not for converting an old PC into a 
machine for the future. Rmimiiii tSl 

Applied Reasoning Corporation 
86 Sherman Street 
Cambridge; MA 02140 
6171492-0700 
PC-elevATor 

CIRCLE 353 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Classic Technology Corporation 
2090 Concourse Drive 
San Jose, CA 95131 
800/392-8324; in. California, 
800/338-0777 
286 SPEED PAK 

CIRCLE 354 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

MicroWay 
P.O. Box 79 
Kingston, MA 02364 
617/746-7341 
FastCACHE 286 

CIRCLE 355 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Mountain Computer, Inc. 

360 El Pueblo Road 
Scotts Valley, CA 95066 
408/438-6650 
RaceCard-286 

CIRCLE 356 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Personal Computer Support Group 
11035 Harry Hines Blvd., Suite 206 
Dallas, TX 75229 
214/351-0564 
Breakthru 286 

CIRCLE 357 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

PC Technologies, Inc. 

704 Airport Blvd. 

P.O. Box 2090 
Ann Arbor, MI 48106 
313/996-9690 
286 Express Card 

CIRCLE 358 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Orchid Technology 
47790 Westinghouse Drive 
Fremont, CA 94538 
415/490-8586 
PCturbo 286e 
TinyTurbo 286 

CIRCLE 359 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Seattle Telecom & Data, Inc. 

12277 134th Court NE, Suite 205 
Redmond, WA 98052 
206/820-1873 
PC-286 

CIRCLE 360 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Sigma Designs 
46501 Landing Parkway 
Fremont, CA 94538 
415/770-0100 
TurboCache 286 

CIRCLE 361 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Victor Technologies, Inc. 

380 El Pueblo Road 
Scotts Valley, CA 95066-0001 
408/438-6680 
SpeedPac 286 

CIRCLE 362 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


JUNE 1987 


135 















With Intel’s Inboard™ 386/AT. 

It fits right into your IBM®AT or 
compatible, and gives you all the per¬ 
formance of a 386 system. 

Without having to buy a 386 sys¬ 
tem. (Which, if you’ve priced one lately 
is about three times as expensive) 
Inboard 386 is based on the revo¬ 
lutionary 32-bit, 16 MHz 80386 chip 
we invented. So it’ll work with all the 


desk. As well as any add-in boards you 
may have hiding in your computer¬ 
like, just for instance, the Above™ 
Board. Which we also invented. 

Inboard 386 lets you whiz through 
recalcs with Lotus® 1-2-3? And it 
makes your network server serve you 
even faster. In fact, it’ll make any 
program serve you faster. 

And with 386 control software, 


Inboard and Above are trademarks and Intel a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Lotus and 













300000 


3000000 


OO 

. rk 

oo 

D 

oo 


oo 

rvj 

oo 

rk 

oo 

D 

oo 


ooooooo 



‘OOQQQO 

GOOOOOO 

oo 

oo 

oo 

oo 

oo 

oo 

oo 

‘GOOOOOO 

OOOOOO 


you can take advantage of exceptional 
multitasking capabilities. Like put¬ 
ting together a presentation while 
your computer is downloading data. 
(A slightly more efficient way of 
doing business) 

Don’t forget our five-year 
warranty Or toll-free technical 
support line. 


To find out more, check with 5 * 
your favorite computer dealer 
or call us at (800) 538-3373. J 

And see why Inboard 386 
beats the system. 


1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corp. © 1986 Intel Corporation 


CIRCLE NO. 216 ON READER SERVICE CARD 









COMI’l TER GRAPHIC • DOV JACOBSON 



138 


PC TECH JOURNAL 








A classic, high-performance UNIX 
data manager, loaded with features 
for administering a large database, 
steps firmly into the DOS arena. 


JIM ROBERTS 


U NIFY, the high-performance data 
manager in control of half the 
UNIX market, saw its first release 
in a DOS translation in the summer of 
1986. The new DOS unify 3.2 was up¬ 
dated in March 1987 to provide im¬ 
proved SQL performance, NetBIOS LAN 
and Microsoft C version 4.0 compiler 
support, and to drop copy protection. 
The single-user version of release 
3.2-870325.2 is reviewed here. 

This data manager brings with it an 
unfamiliar look to users accustomed 
only to the microcomputer: it uses no 
color screen displays, no drop-down or 
pop-up menus, no zooming, and no 
windows—except what might be pro¬ 
grammed. Moreover, unify will be vir¬ 
tually unusable to a person not comfort¬ 
able with the principles of relational 
databases. No, unify is not slick in its 
appearance or ease of use, but rather 
internally, in the speed and integrity of 
its data management and database ad¬ 
ministration. Although many DOS data 
managers provide reasonably adequate 
data management, they generally falter 
in database administration. To this area, 
DOS unify brings welcome relief. 

But the DOS market is thick with 
data managers that serve most program¬ 
mers and users reasonably well, and 
some are easier to use, at least in the 
early going, unify’s cost alone—$795— 
could be an obstacle to the developer 
hoping to use it as the engine for a 
commercial product. The single-user 
runtime licenses cost a few hundred 
dollars or less, depending on volume. 

What, then, is the market for this 
product? unify Corporation sees it as 
consisting of its existing base of UNIX 
developers, who can market scaled- 
down versions of their existing applica¬ 
tions for customers not yet looking for 


a full multiuser system; corporate and 
institutional UNIX users, who may want 
to run their existing software on an 
inexpensive workstation; and high-end 
DOS VARs (value-added resellers), who 
require a more comprehensive data 
manager for the DOS environment. 

But the company may be too mod¬ 
est. Any user who has access to pro¬ 
gramming support and who is manag¬ 
ing a sizable database at a workstation 
should consider DOS unify. The pains¬ 
taking work required initially is re¬ 
warded farther along, and accompanied 
by good support and regular upgrades. 
Once the application developer or data¬ 
base administrator learns what unify ex¬ 
pects from him, and the interface be¬ 
comes comfortable, this data manager 
gives the very reassuring feel of a well- 
engineered machine. Its combination of 
powerful database administration, 
speed, and a consistent behavior will 
inistill confidence in any developer. 

The package requires about 512KB, 
thus a good 640KB is recommended to 
accommodate other resident software 
or a disk cache. The user also should 
take heed that portions of unify are not 
compatible with some memory-resident 
software, such as Borland’s SideKick. 

The documentation comprises 
three manuals: a tutorial, a reference, 
and a programmer’s manual. In all, it 
comes to about 900 pages in standard- 
size, three-ring binders with slip covers. 
The unify program and help files are 
distributed on fifteen 360KB diskettes. 

The features of UNIX unify that are 
not yet available in DOS unify include 
raw file systems for fast access (DOS is 
faster than UNIX on random reads, so 
this is not too important), a Ryan-McFar- 
land RM/COBOL Host Language Inter¬ 
face (HLI), and the ACCEL program gen¬ 


erator, a distinct and expensive product 
that has a lot of flash. 

unify is an integrated system of 
programs that perform data manage¬ 
ment and reporting functions (a dia¬ 
gram of its architecture is shown in fig¬ 
ure 1). The system contains utilities that 
create and maintain the database and 
the database design; the ENTER data en¬ 
try program, which can be used as a 
query-by-form interface; the SQL (struc¬ 
tured query language) processor; the 
RPT report writer; and the C HLI. 

Developer and user alike generally 
work with unify via a hierarchy of 
menus, beginning with the main menu 
shown in photo 1. (In addition, many 
data inquiry and reporting functions can 
be called directly from DOS, and the 
programmer can access unify functions 
from C.) The operator can either walk 
through the menus or go directly to the 
menu desired by entering a system 
name for that menu in response to the 
SELECTION prompt. This latter course 
may seem the easier route; however, 
the documentation does not include a 
table of these system names, so identify¬ 
ing them can be a real chore. 

The data dictionary is at the heart 
of unify’s data management, in contrast 
to AshtonTate’s dBASE, for example, in 
which fields have no wider a world 
than the file to which they belong. 
unify’s data dictionary is a much more 
general entity than the variety usually 
found in DOS data managers. In unify, 
the data dictionary includes the full 
database design, or schema , plus the 
menus, screens, access privileges, help 
documentation, and program list. 

With the relational model as its 
basis, unify adds one feature that either 
violates the model or extends it, de¬ 
pending upon your point of view. A 


JUNE 1987 


139 



UNIFY 


FIGURE 1: UNIFY Architecture 



UNIFY is a compilation of more than 20 programs that provide an integrated system for creating data management systems. 


strictly relational data manager confines 
defined relationships to tables. Tables 
are independent in the database 
schema, therefore all look-ups or de¬ 
pendencies must be programmed. In 
unify, however, the relationships be¬ 
tween two tables can be defined in the 
schema itself. A field in table A can be 
related explicitly to a primary (hashed) 
key in table B. This is called an explicit 
relationship or link. Once established, 
unify keeps a pointer in table B to the 
corresponding unique record in table 
A. This advance information greatly 
speeds joins, because no look-up or 
hashing is required. More importantly, 
unify permits fields from two tables to 
be placed on the same data entry 
screen only if the tables have already 
been linked in this way, although it 
does not limit the number of tables that 
can be represented on the same screen 
using this mechanism. 

Explicit links between tables are 
useful not only for performance in 
look-ups and joins, but also for data in¬ 
tegrity. A record in a table cannot be 
deleted if its key has explicit links from 
records in another table. Thus, in a real 
accounting application, customers could 
not be deleted if they have outstanding 
orders. Similarly, orders could not be 
entered unless the customer is already 


present in the customer file. The failure 
of such referential integrity is one of 
the most common problems in simpler 
data managers. This integrity is also the 
most ubiquitous, though annoying, safe¬ 
guard that must be programmed into a 
complex application, unify saves the 
programmer a great deal of trouble 
with this feature, but the manual offers 
only obscure information about it. 

unify’s data (field) types are famil¬ 
iar, so although the manual does not 
define all of them explicitly, their defi¬ 
nitions usually can be inferred. How¬ 
ever, this treatment does seem negli¬ 
gent, for example, with the extensively 
used numeric data type. A definition is 
not provided, yet these data have two 
different internal representations. Val¬ 
ues with four or fewer digits are stored 
as short (16-bit) integers (as defined by 
C), and values with five to nine digits 
are stored as long (32-bit) integers. 

Float is another numerical type not 
clearly defined. In the tutorial and ref¬ 
erence manuals, it is treated as a binary- 
coded-decimal (BCD), floating-point 
number with no exponent. A little dig¬ 
ging in the programmers’ manual, how¬ 
ever, reveals that internally it is identi¬ 
cal with the C type double (not float), 
that is, double-precision floating-point, 
or 64 bits. Float fields can use exponen¬ 


tial notation, but the range of magni¬ 
tudes available for input or output nev¬ 
ertheless is limited by the number of 
significant figures, which is 17. Expon¬ 
ents larger in magnitude than 16 are in¬ 
valid as input, although they can be rep¬ 
resented internally. Float fields cannot 
be output in exponential format. This 
limits unify’s usefulness in design, engi¬ 
neering, and scientific applications, as 
does the fact that it does not support 
the Intel numeric coprocessors. 

Another numerical type, amount, 
always has two figures to the right of 
the decimal point. The manuals do not 
explain this choice, but it is easy to sur¬ 
mise. Shorter fields of type amount are 
saved internally as long integers, longer 
fields (8 to 11 digits) as double-preci¬ 
sion floating point. Thus, this field type 
is treated as two types internally. 

The date type field can be ex¬ 
pressed in three formats: mmlddlyy , 
dd/mm/yy , and yy/mm/dd. No format is 
provided for representing the month in 
text (Jan., Feb.). The default date type 
can be specified globally through an en¬ 
vironment variable, but may be overrid¬ 
den on a field-by-field basis. Regretta¬ 
bly, the range of valid dates presently 
does not extend outside the 20th cen¬ 
tury (a limit not stated clearly in the 
documentation). This will handicap 


140 


PC TECH JOURNAL 


Adapted from UNIFY documentation 











































































































PHOTO 1: Main Menu 



Developers and users alike usually deal with UNIFY through 
a hierarchical set of menus beginning with the main menu. 
Function key FI is pressed to select the specified entry. 


PHOTO 2 I Create or Modify Screen Forms 



This menu provides a variety of screen-related services. 
Screens can be generated, tested, and registered with the 
ENTER program for use in performing data queries. 


unify in applications for science, his¬ 
tory, bibliography, and genealogy. 

The time data type, hhmm , is lim¬ 
ited also. It represents a time of day, 
not a quantity, and seconds cannot be 
included. Two different times may be 
subtracted, as long as the result (in 
minutes) is positive; times may not be 
added. (Some far less expensive DOS 
data managers have far more powerful 
float, date, and time data types.) 

unify also includes a string data 
type, the values for which are stored 
internally as C language type strings. 
Strings have a maximum length of 256 
characters, with no variable length 
memo or text data types, nor any logi¬ 
cal types. Also supported is a combined 
(COMB) field type. A combined field is 
an associated group of previously de¬ 
fined fields. The associated fields, which 
are referenced by implication whenever 
a COMB field is referenced, are called 
implied fields. 

A table can have as many as 256 
fields to a maximum record length of 
25.6KB. A database can have a maxi¬ 
mum 2 billion records and 256 distinct 
tables. These limitations are generous, 
and are exceeded by very few other 
DOS data managers. The number of 
secondary keys is limited to 255, which 
may seem restrictive, but unify has 
powerful sorting capabilities in both its 
query language and report processor. 

unify offers four methods of ac¬ 
cessing records, while many data man¬ 
agers provide two at most. All tables 
must have a primary key, which is 
hashed for fast look-up; secondary keys 
are indexed as balanced B+ trees. 
Beyond these two random access meth¬ 
ods, records may be accessed sequen¬ 
tially in the order they are logically 


stored on the disk, or via the pointer 
method used in explicit relationships. 
unify itself apparently chooses the fast¬ 
est access method, depending upon the 
procedure and database schema. 

The procedure language of most 
data managers for the PC fits into one 
of three categories: 

• Those that run applications in inter¬ 
preted form, generating screens and 
reports at any time, and that have no 
compiled form (dBASE, for example). 
These require the full development 
system to run a program. 

• Those that compile all modules to 
intermediate token code before they 
can be run (Data Access’s DataFlex, 
Business Tools’ TAS-Plus) or that can 
compile and run each module at any 
time (Fox Software’s Foxbase+). 

• Those that compile all modules to na¬ 
tive code (dBASE compilers such as 
Nantucket’s Clipper and WordTech 
Systems’ Quicksilver). The compiled 
programs stand alone. 

unify, however, fits none of these 
categories. Its applications exist in two 
radically different forms. The proce¬ 
dural language intrinsic to unify is the 
IBM Structured Query Language (SQL) 
with extensions (this also is imple¬ 
mented in Oracle’s DOS Oracle and 
Micro Data Base Systems’ Knowledge- 
Man/2). Procedures in this language are 
ASCII files, and hence are interpreted 
by the SQL command processor. 

The other unify application avail¬ 
able under DOS is compiled native 
code, using the C HLI and the Microsoft 
C Compiler 4.0. These routines are 
compiled into native code that makes 
calls to the unify library of data man¬ 
agement routines, unify provides no 
token code form. 


GETTING PAST INSTALLATION 

unify’s installation guide indicates that 
DOS 2.0 or later is required, but that 
network support requires DOS 3.x. The 
DOS unify 2.0 release notes describe 
the various updates in the most recent 
unify release (including Microsoft C 
support). A guide to converting unify 
applications between DOS and UNIX 
versions is provided. 

The unify data manager requires 
the ANSI.SYS driver to be loaded 
through CONFIG.SYS, even though uni¬ 
fy does not make full use of the driver. 
Because colors are not supported, any 
attempt to redefine screen colors using 
ANSI.SYS produces only atrocious-look¬ 
ing screens that misbehave. Neither will 
unify tolerate any redefinition of the 
function keys. (It is worth noting that 
few other programs at this level cause a 
problem with redefining function keys.) 
When finally installed, with no data¬ 
bases defined, unify occupies about 
4MB of disk space. 

A word about directory structure 
under unify. The program is installed in 
various subdirectories under a main 
directory called \ UNIFY, which is virtu¬ 
ally empty. The main unify engine is in 
subdirectory BIN, the libraries in LIB, 
and the help files in LIBXHDOC. Every 
unify application is completely indepen¬ 
dent. The programmer may place any 
number of these independent databases 
and their programs in separate subdi¬ 
rectory branches under \ UNIFY. 

The product comes with a program 
that fills the TUTORIAL subdirectory 
branch, which also contains the data¬ 
base that the new user should have pro¬ 
duced upon completing the unify tuto¬ 
rial. The initial tutorial is located in the 
MYTUTOR subdirectory. 


JUNE 1987 


141 






























UNIFY 


CREATING A DATABASE 

The operator’s first step is to use DOS 
to create a subdirectory in which the 
.database will be stored. Next, unify is 
called; it automatically creates the initial 
system database files. Then the user 
may define the database tables, which 
are called record types , including any 
explicit relationships. 

This data manager has a rather in¬ 
consistent user interface. Consider, for 
example, the system’s use of a common 
key sequence, < A U> (or Ctrl-U). On a 
Create New Database screen, < A U> is 
used to move left a column in change 
mode, to move up a line in line com¬ 
mand mode, and, in screen command 
mode, to exit the screen. In a Modify 
Data Base Design screen, <TJ> saves a 
record type to the database schema. In 
a data entry screen, <TJ> saves and 
clears the record buffer. The <TJ> key 
is also called the “up” command key, 
which is defined only for menu han¬ 
dling, when a help line is displayed at 
the bottom of the screen. When that 
help line is not present, the command 
key functions are not available. (Inci¬ 
dentally, the help line is displayed in 
two separate lines that the user must 
toggle between—even though the infor¬ 
mation easily could be written in one 
line.) It is unfortunate that such confu¬ 
sion remains in unify’s user interface. 
Certainly, it makes an already complex 
program all the more difficult to grasp. 

Once record and field types have 
been defined using menus, unify gives 
the user the option of creating an 
empty database and default data entry 
screens for each data type. Then data 
are entered using the generated 
screens. At this point, both the tutorial 
and reference manual refer to “primary 
and secondary record types” without 
defining either. As it turns out, a pri¬ 
mary record type is the primary data 
file displayed on the screen. Secondary 
record types are those tables accessed 
by way of explicit relationships between 
tables. Many unify security features are 
implemented in the screen forms: re¬ 
strictions can be set on the authority to 
use the form and the modes of the 
form (add, inquire, modify, and delete). 
Authority privileges can be assigned on 
both individual and group basis. 

The entry screens display only one 
record at a time. Data cannot be en¬ 
tered in a browse mode—although 
such a facility would gready enhance 
unify’s ease of use. When data entry for 
the record is complete, pressing <U> 
saves the data and clears the buffer. A 
better method would be for the pro¬ 
gram to ask whether the record should 


be saved after the last field has been 
entered, with a default answer of yes. 
The use of <U> here is particularly 
bad, because unless the cursor is posi¬ 
tioned on the first field, the same key 
steps it to the preceding field 

Under these key definitions, if a 
user’s purpose is to get out of a screen 
with the most automatic behavior pos¬ 
sible (and thus, the least chance of er¬ 
ror), he would simply hit the same key 
repeatedly, in this case, TJ. Many incon¬ 
sistencies in key definitions actually af¬ 
ford this kind of automatic movement 
once the user is accustomed to a partic¬ 
ular mode of operation. The interface is 
designed to accommodate the unify ex¬ 
pert, not the novice. 

Unfortunately, none of these opera¬ 
tions is explained in the manual. The 
table of command keys, listed with their 
alternate definitions ( A U, % or A K), is 

I he database schema 
(design) stored in the UNIFY 
data dictionary can be 
changed and output to a 
printer via menu screens. 


not a substitute for an explanation. The 
reference manual does describe the 
process for redefining command keys 
by modifying the unify unicap file; how¬ 
ever, the process is complex and must 
be performed with care. 

The field editing provided by unify 
is primitive. If the user notices an error 
while still in the field, he must destruc¬ 
tively backspace to the error, then re¬ 
type; otherwise he must retype the en¬ 
tire field. The PC’s arrow keys do not 
operate, and no insert mode is pro¬ 
vided. This is probably the most primi¬ 
tive field editing facility available in a 
data manager that costs more than $50. 
Only printable 7-bit characters can be 
entered; 8-bit characters are truncated 
to 7. Further, foreign characters are not 
accommodated—for example, entering 
a U (9AH) truncates to a % which 
clears the field. 

Field names can contain upper- 
and lowercase letters, numbers, and the 
underscore. Although the manual does 
not state it as such, each field must have 
a name unique to the entire schema. 
Actually, each field has two names asso¬ 
ciated with it—a short name (up to 8 
characters) used internally by unify, and 


a long name (up to 16 characters) used 
by operators to reference data. Short 
names must be unique throughout the 
database; long names must be unique 
only within each record type. 

The schema stored in the unify 
data dictionary can be changed using 
the Modify Data Base Design screen. 
However, the behavior of this screen is 
not intuitive, and only certain com¬ 
mands have prompts. The schema can 
be printed by selecting that option from 
the Data Base Design Utilities menu. 
unify prints the schema only to the 
printer on LPT1, but does not prompt 
the user to turn it on. No progress mes¬ 
sages appear on screen, nor does any 
notice of completion. The user must 
discern that the process is complete 
from the printer’s inactivity. The printed 
product is partly a schema description 
and partly an audit report on the 
changes that have been made. This re¬ 
port is very valuable in the maintenance 
and documentation of a complicated 
database, and is an example of unify at 
its strongest. In addition, unify prints 
complete documentation on any or all 
data entry screens from the Data Dic¬ 
tionary Reports menu. The format is not 
particularly compart; however, large- 
scale database development projects, for 
which unify is intended, benefit gready 
from such reports. 

Thus, where most DOS data man¬ 
agers are deficient in their ability to 
document themselves, unify excels. The 
other side of this coin is that a program 
with unify’s power and complexity is 
not suitable for the quick-and-dirty proj¬ 
ects that can be accommodated on most 
other data managers. It may be worth 
noting, however, that those kinds of 
projects usually develop into big ones, 
and either outgrow their DOS data 
manager’s capabilities or remain crip¬ 
pled by them. 

unify permits restructuring of the 
database if a field or index has been ad¬ 
ded or changed, and backup to an ex¬ 
ternal medium before the restructure. 

By default, the output device for the 
backup is drive A:. A different receiving 
device can be specified using the envi¬ 
ronment variable BUDEV. 

unify will generate default entry 
screens during the database creation 
process, based on the existing database 
definition. If changes are made to the 
database schema, the screens are not 
modified automatically. If a user is satis¬ 
fied with the default screen format 
(which is quite primitive in appearance, 
but not necessarily in behavior), he can 
recreate the default screens after a 
change to the schema. Otherwise, the 


142 


PC TECH JOURNAL 



UNIFY 3 2 
UNIFY Corporation 
4000 Kruse Way Place 
Lake Oswego, OR 97034 
503/635-7777 

CIRCLE 367 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

Product type, unify is an interactive re¬ 
lational data manager, with a struc¬ 
tured query language (SQL) and a C 
language interface. Data fields (attri¬ 
butes) are single-valued. Primary key 
in each table is hashed, secondary 
keys are B-trees. The relational model 
is extended by explicitly defined rela¬ 
tionships (prejoins) between primary 
keys and fields in other tables. System 
data dictionary includes all menus, 
screens, access privileges, help docu¬ 
mentation, and program list. Applica¬ 
tion data dictionary places all record 
type definitions, field types, and hash 
tables in a single file. B-trees are kept 
in separate files, one per record type. 
IBM PC environment, unify runs on an 
IBM PC or compatible with a hard¬ 
disk drive and 640KB recommended, 
running DOS 2.0 or later; unify does 
not use extended or expanded mem¬ 
ory. Requires 4MB of disk space for 
system. Numeric coprocessor not re¬ 
quired or supported. Also requires 
ANSI.SYS screen driver and DOS 
printer spooler. C language interface 
uses Microsoft C 4.0. 

Other environments. More than 100 
computers from micro to mainframe 
that run UNIX System V. 

Network support. Multiuser version pro¬ 
vides NetBIOS LAN support for 4-, 8-, 
16-, and 32-user configurations. 
Copyprotection. None. 

Documentation. Three manuals in 8-by- 
9-inch, slip-covered three-ring binders: 
tutorial, reference, and programmer’s 
(in all about 900 pages.) A reference 
guide booklet, and a companion pro¬ 
grammer’s guide are also included. 
Documentation describes database de¬ 
sign principles and unify operation. 
User interface. Data management func¬ 
tions accessible from DOS, or can be 


PAINT facility must be used to modify 
the generated default screen forms. 

PAINT is invoked from the Create 
or Modify Screen Forms menu (see 
photo 2). This facility permits the user 
to enter field prompts, move and delete 
fields, and add fields from the same 
table or fields from another table ex¬ 
plicitly related to fields in the current 


UNIFY OVERVIEW 



built into the menu system. Operation 
of data administration through menus. 
Help facilities. On-line help for com¬ 
mand keys, control keys, and use of 
system menus. Help on SQL usage 
available from within SQL. 

File capacities. The maximum number 
of fields in a table is 236, to a maxi¬ 
mum record length of 25.6KB. The 
maximum number of records in a 
database is 2 billion; a database can 
have at most 256 distinct tables. Sec¬ 
ondary keys limited to 256. 

Field types/capacities. Long and short in¬ 
tegers, numeric float with 17 signifi¬ 
cant figures (exponential not sup¬ 
ported), money (amount) field, date 
type restricted to 20th century, par¬ 
tially implemented time type, strings. 

In addition, these simple types may be 
combined into a C structure that con¬ 
stitutes a single combination field. No 
logical, or variable-length text data 
types, and no arrays. 

Data entry, unify generates rudimen¬ 
tary data entry screens for every de¬ 
fined table. These screens may be 
modified extensively without program¬ 
ming, and also can serve a query 7 func¬ 
tion (query-by-forms). Filters, upper¬ 
case, forced entry, and other editing 
functions must be added by the appli¬ 
cations programmer. 

Application development facilities. 
Structured Query Language/Data 
Management Language (SQL/DML) 
provide simple procedural language 
for powerful queries and database up¬ 
dates. Data from SQL may be input to 


table in the schema. Fields and field 
windows can be located anywhere on 
the screen, except the last three rows. 

This facility does have a few flaws. 
For one thing, its text is difficult to read 
on a color screen. It displays field 
prompts as white, which is acceptable, 
but the field type markers (NNN for a 
three-digit numeric field, SSS for a 


RPT report processor. Access to data 
management primitives in function 
calls from C language. No access to 
query language from C. 

Security. Password security may be ap¬ 
plied to menus and programs, and in¬ 
dividual database fields. 

Access to system facilities. Programs and 
batch files can be executed from 
either unify menus or a secondary 
COMMAND.COM. 

Query and sorting. Very 7 powerful IBM 
Structured Query 7 Language included, 
with nesting and restricted regular ex¬ 
pressions. Output can be sorted on 
any combination of fields. 

Reporting. Nonprocedural report pro¬ 
cessor, RPT, produces extremely com¬ 
plex multipage reports from ASCII in¬ 
put generated by SQL. RPT has no di¬ 
rect access to the unify database. 
Utilities. Powerful data administration 
utilities: backup, transaction logging, 
replay of transactions, rebuilding hash 
tables and B-tree files, and multilevel 
access security. Referential integrity is 
guaranteed by explicit relationship 
links between tables. 

Data compatibility. Data can be im¬ 
ported from delimited ASCII files, 
without quotes. SQL or LST list pro¬ 
cessor will export to fixed field-length 
delimited files; RPT must be used to 
produce variable-length delimited 
files. With some limitations, data can 
also be imported from unify databases 
on other machines. 

Distribution. Direct sales to VARs and 
large corporate users. 

Price. DOS unify single-user version, 
$795. Runtimes start at $400, with per- 
unit reductions for volume. Multiuser 
version for 4-, 8-, 16-, and 32-user con¬ 
figurations—prices are $1,695, $3,195, 
$6,195, and $11,995, respectively. 
Support Full telephone support with 
free upgrades, $750 annually. Written 
support and discounts on future up¬ 
grades, $500. Discounts on new re¬ 
leases, but no support, $300. Tele¬ 
phone support is a toll call. 

—-Jim Roberts 


string field, and so on) are shown in a 
deep blue on a black background. 
(These appear as underlined text on an 
IBM monochrome monitor.) One re¬ 
strictive feature is that PAINT deter¬ 
mines the field entry' order: left to right 
on a row, then top to bottom. If this or¬ 
der is deemed awkward or otherwise 
unacceptable, then the screen must be 


JUNE 1987 


143 















UNIFY 


programmed in C— this is probably the 
most difficult and error-prone portion 
of any unify application development. 

When fields are defined in the data 
dictionary as the schema is first set up 
for a database, field attributes such as 
case are not specified. Hence, the de¬ 
fault entry screens generated -by unify 
cannot incorporate such information. 
The only data validation possible in the 
screens at the field level is whether the 
data being entered is consistent with 
the field type. Values entered for re¬ 
lated fields must be present in the file 
to which the field is explicitly related. 
Thus, these master files, with primary 
keys explicitly referred to in other files, 
must be filled with their master data be¬ 
fore dependent data can be entered. 

SQL/DML 

IBM’S SQL has long been a standard on 
mainframes and minicomputers. It is 
destined to become a standard for up¬ 
scale DOS data managers for the PC as 
well. SQL provides powerful, flexible 
data selection tools, without reports, 
that are uniform across hardware, oper¬ 
ating systems, and programs. It is also 
quite approachable, even for nontechni¬ 
cal personnel, unify offers a full imple¬ 
mentation of SQL, but unify SQL is ex¬ 
tended beyond the pure inquiry func¬ 


tion to selectively modify the data. In 
this capacity, it is called the Data Man¬ 
agement Language (DML). 

The following is a sample SQL 
script that finds all authors residing in 
California and places all fields from 
those records into a file called autdoc. 
(Note that the entire script could be 
placed on one line, if preferred.) 

select * from author 
where stcode = ’CA ’ 
into autdoc / 

Users must remember that the powerful 
unify SQL takes control of the keyboard 
with no time-outs, so that other mem¬ 
ory-resident routines that query the key¬ 
board (such as SideKick) are locked 
out. Such a situation can require a 
warm reboot if SQL will not relinquish 
control—this is a serious flaw. 

SQL can be run from the unify 
menu handler or from DOS or batch 
files. Two versions of SQL are provided: 
the standard version (used when SQL is 
run from the menu handler) consumes 
less memory, but runs slower; the en¬ 
hanced version (used when SQL is exe¬ 
cuted from DOS or batch files) runs fas¬ 
ter, but uses more memory. 

The SQL help facility provides very 
useful on-line reminders about SQL 
syntax, but it has a few minor glitches 


and opportunities for the user to err. 
The help screen for the select key 
word, for example, is too big, so part of 
it scrolls off the top before it can be 
read. The fields help screen lists the 
fields in any record type, so it must be 
followed by the name of a record type. 

If fields help is requested without speci¬ 
fying a record type, the user is dropped 
back to the sql> prompt without an er¬ 
ror message, and the program waits for 
the record type to be entered. At that 
point, if fields help is requested again 
with the correct syntax, the program is¬ 
sues an error message. As with other 
components of unify, requests for help 
must be handled with care. 

When an SQL query has been 
parsed correctly, unify responds with 
“recognized query.” This message is is¬ 
sued because executing an SQL query 
can take some time, and the operator of 
a multiuser machine needs to be reas¬ 
sured that he has not hung the system 
by asking something impossible. 

unify SQL uses long field names in 
queries, rather than the short ones. A 
typical user will be entering similar 
queries again and again, and so would 
have the opportunity to become quite 
familiar with the short field names. The 
only time they are used, however, is in 
references to components of combina¬ 
tion fields. The access name for such a 
field is a composite of the combination 
field’s short name and the short name 
of the referenced component field. So, 
although the user must become famil¬ 
iar with the abbreviated names, they 
may not be used directly. 

SQL queries can be saved in text 
files, unify allows the user to specify his 
own editor by using the environment 
variable EDIT. This editor is then sum¬ 
moned whenever the user selects edit 
from the main menu or issues the edit 
command in SQL. This is an excellent 
feature, especially if the user’s editor 
supports macros. The default editor for 
unify is DOS EDLIN. 

The editor specified in the environ¬ 
ment can be one that accepts a configu¬ 
ration file on the editor command line. 
The configuration file cannot be speci¬ 
fied directly, however EDIT can be set 
to the name of a batch file (without the 
.BAT) that contains the editor invocation 
complete with the configuration file 
specified on the command line. 

In a way, SQL scripts are similar to 
DOS batch files. They may be executed 
by entering them interactively to the 
SQL script interpreter, or placing them 
in separate text files, the names of 
which are passed to SQL as arguments 
in the DOS command line. Regrettably, 



Intelligent crossroads 
for multiusers 

Nobody ever told your PC how to deal with 
eight channels of data traffic. But now, it’s 
got some help. It’s got the ACL Serial Card 
that takes the panic and frustration out of 
multiuser systems ... and replaces them 
with speed and orderliness. 

* NO DATA PILE UPS! High speed dual port memory teamed with a PC compatible CPU 
gives you a high performance communication coprocessor. 

* MAXIMUM ADAPTABILITY! Eight independent channels of RS-232, with full hardware 
modem control handshakes, or software flow control. Also, RS-422 and RS-485 available, to 
interface with industrial process controls. 

* CREATE AND RUN YOUR OWN 
PROGRAMS! Download custom 
programs and have ACL run them. 

DRIVERS FOR PC MOS, XENIX, UNIX, 

QNX AND THEOS! Give us a call. Find star GATE TECHNOLOGIES INC. 

out how the ACL Serial Card can help your 33800 Curtis Blvd., Eastlake, OH 44094 

PC reach its full potential. (216) 951 -5922 TELEFAX NO. (216) 946-6892 



TECHNOLOG/ES /MC 


144 


CIRCLE NO. 177 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




ABOVE BOARD IS SO 

ADVANCED IT’LL WORK 
FOR GENERATIONS 
TO COME 



The Above™ Board 286. 

It’ll run everyone of the terrific new 
OS/2 applications. 

Just as soon as they’re written.Which 
by all accounts looks to be mid-1988. 

In the meantime, it’s almost manda¬ 
tory with the memory-intensive applica¬ 
tions you’re using today: spreadsheets, 
networks, Microsoft® Windows® pop - up 
utilities, or whatever. 

In all, Above Board 286 can give you 
up to 4 MB of expanded memory based 
on the Lotus®/Intel/Microsoft standard. 


And since it looks like you’ll be 
working with DOS at least another year, 
those 4 MB should come in handy 
Especially when your spreadsheets 
develop middle-age spread. 

And your pop-up utilities are popping 
up all over the place. 

Then, when OS/2 arrives, that same 
Above Board you’ve come to know and 
love will give you up to 4 MB of OS/2 
memory Ready to run. 

What’s more, our new Above Board 
286 comes with switchless installation, a 
five-year warranty and the toll-free tech¬ 
nical support you’d expect from Intel. 

All of which makes this a very special 
sort of proposition. 

Because we’re promising you the 
moon in the future. 

And giving it to you in the present. 

To give you the full story we’ve written 
a paper called “The Memory Implica¬ 
tions of OS/2:’ Just call (800) 538-3373 
and we’ll send you a free copy 

iny 

Above is a trademark and Intel a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Lotus is a registered trademark 
of Lotus Development Corp. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. OS/2 Is 
a trademark of International Business Machines Corp. © 1987 Intel Corporation. 


CIRCLE NO. 187 ON READER SERVICE CARD 














UNIFY 


these SQL script files cannot possess re¬ 
placeable parameters unless these pa¬ 
rameters are passed to it by unify, not 
DOS. That is, an SQL script with re¬ 
placeable parameters must be “de¬ 
scribed” to unify, so that when it is 
called, the actual values of the parame¬ 
ters must be passed. The user must edit 
the SQL script file to change the actual 
field values being used in the inquiry— 
not a difficult task, just awkward. 

The tutorial chapter on SQL does 
not explain the language syntax, but 
does offer a very intelligible set of ex¬ 
amples of its use. Although this is a rea¬ 
sonably good introduction, it would be 
even better if the actual syntax were in¬ 
cluded in some form. Also, some of the 
operations in the tutorial do not work 
as advertised. The most annoying was 
an import of data from a fixed-length 
ASCII query file, using the “insert” 
clause (command). The tutorial gives 
the specific command for loading the 
data from a different directory, but it 
simply does not work and no error 
message or status report is generated. 
Several variations were attempted; the 
only way the command would work 
was by copying the ASCII data files into 
the logged directory. 

Many of the SQL commands could 
be implemented more efficiendy by 


unify. For example, SQL permits selec¬ 
tive deletion or counting of records that 
meet certain criteria. However, the 
operator often wants to delete or count 
all records. In these cases, unify SQL 
chews through an entire file, record by 
record, rather than using a higher level 
of database information. 

SQL easily exports data from a 
unify database to an external, delimited 
ASCII file. However, this file will have 
fixed-length fields padded with blanks 
to their defined lengths, unify technical 
support personnel reports little demand 
for variable-length delimited output be¬ 
cause UNIX has so many powerful and 
efficient text manipulation tools for 
stripping out unwanted blanks, and to 
make other desired modifications. DOS 
unify users may want to acquire some 
of these UNIX-like tools from the public 
domain. As an alternative, RPT can be 
used to export variable-length delimited 
fields; the simpler LST list processor 
prints only fixed-length fields. 

One annoying trait of unify’s SQL 
is that it aborts if the operator is trying 
to use the into clause to direct the re¬ 
sults of the SQL query to a DOS file 
that already exists. Of course, if SQL is 
being called from DOS, redirection can 
be used (this process saves to existing 
files with no problem). 



HIGH POWER 
WITHOUT THE 
HIGH PRICE 


Microstat® has been the most popular statistics package for microcomputers since we in¬ 
troduced it in 1978. In the past two years, Microstat has been requested by name on more 
military contracts than any other statistics package. When it comes to coverage, ease of 
use, accuracy, and value, Microstat is unbeatable. Just some of it features include: 


Data Management Subsystem for file creation and 
management. 

Data Transformations 
Hypothesis Testing 
Three types of ANOVA 

Simple, Multiple, Stepwise Multiple Regression 
11 Nonparametric Tests 
Factorials, Permutations, Combinations 
Batch or Interactive Operation 


Read external files (e.g., Lotus, 
dBasell, ASCII) 

Descriptive Statistics 
Scatterplots 
Correlation Analysis 
Time’Series 

8 Probability Distributions 
Crosstabs and Chi-Square 
User’s Manual 


Microstat® is 
available for MSDOS, 
PCDOS, CP/M80, 
CP/M86. The price is 
$375.00. Multiple copy 
discounts and cost- 
effective site licenses 
are available. 

To order, call: 

800 - 952-0472 

(for orders) 
or 

317 - 255-6476 

(tech, info.) 


InfoWorld 

Software Report Card 



MICROSTAT 

BCOSOFT 


Info world , March 16.1981. 


Functionally 
Documentation 
Ease of Use 
Error Handling 
Support 



Ecosoft Inc. 

6413 N. College Ave. 
Indianapolis, IN 46220 


CIRCLE NO. 131 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


SQL misbehaved badly with the 
simple script shown in figure 2. This 
script is meant to generate an input file 
called auttemp for an RPT processor 
that prints one mailing label for each 
author and coauthor in an issue. The 
authors’ names are extracted from the 
article file and their addresses from the 
author file. This process is called a join. 
This SQL script pulled all the correct 
authors; however, auttemp contained 
garbage at the beginning and end. A 
search through the database using unify 
data entry screens for something that 
would result in garbage in the tables 
themselves turned up nothing. The 
tables displayed correct data. 

A discussion of this problem with 
unify technical support personnel re¬ 
vealed a problem with unify’s imple¬ 
mentation of SQL. As noted previously, 
unify has extended the relational model 
to allow explicit relationships between 
tables. SQL uses these explicit relation¬ 
ships to optimize searches. SQL’s use of 
the explicit join between the author and 
article files makes it unable to correctly 
process this specific query. Unfortunate¬ 
ly, the SQL processor bravely went 
ahead anyway, doing the best it could, 
and producing garbage (along with cor¬ 
rect results). This problem can be 
avoided by splitting the query into two 
separate queries (the output for which 
goes to the same file) or by structuring 
the database without an explicit rela¬ 
tionship. The lesson here is that al¬ 
though explicit relationships are useful 
in searches, they can cause problems 
with syntactically correct SQL queries. 
Thus, reliable data extraction requires a 
knowledge of both the database schema 
and the SQL syntax. 

REPORTING 

The unify utilities available for creating 
attractive or complex reports are LST, 
the listing processor that can produce 
sorted, formatted output from multiple 
files, with totals and subtotals, and RPT, 
a very powerful, nonprocedural report¬ 
ing language. LST has all the features 
that most users would need for quick 
reports, and its syntax is quite simple. It 
consists of a selection processor that se¬ 
lects records from a unify database, and 
a listing processor that sorts, formats, 
and totals the selected records. Regret¬ 
tably, LST is poorly documented, with 
not a single example included of a LST 
script LST can be run either from the 
unify menu handler or from DOS or 
batch files. Running them directly from 
batch files provides the flexibility of 
DOS redirection and piping. RPT has no 
interactive mode; it must be run from 


146 


PC TECH JOURNAL 

































For your PC, XT, AT 

or compatible. 


*Times in parentheses are with an 8087 or 80287. 


7 

Whiz 


V r 

Slow 


Speeds Up your 80287 
and your 80286! 

287TurboPLUS adds a new 
feature to PC Magazine Editor’s 
Choice - 287Turbo. 287Turbo 

increases 80287 speed from the 4 MHz used by IBM to 10 
or 12 MHz. It has become an industry standard used in the 
AT, clones and the 386 Deskpro. 287TurboPLUS lets a user 
control the 80286 clock speed of the AT motherboard. 
Typical ATs will run up to 9 or 10 MHz. When used with 100 
nsec DRAM and an optional high speed 80286 it is possible 
to get 11MHz speed from an AT. 287TurboPLUS includes a 
lOorl 2 MHz tested 80287,80287 diagnostic software and 
easily installs in your 80287 socket 


The Fastest PC Accelerator! 


FastCACHE-286 is the fastest 
half card accelerator ever built. It 
is also the first to have an on-board 
8088 socket, built-in high-speed 80287 
clock, and software controlled slow and 
fast 80286 modes. FastCACHE-286 acceler¬ 
ates the IBM PC, XT and compatibles. It can be 
purchased in either a 9 or 12 MHz version starting 
at $399 (9 MHz). The card combines the best features of our 
286TurboCACHE™ (PC Magazine “Editor’s Choice”) with 
the ability to run asynchronously. This frees it from the 7.2 
MHz frequency barrier of synchronous cache cards and 
enables the board to run on dual-speed motherboards and 
PCs such as the Zenith 158 or the Leading Edge Model D! 
The board includes Micro Way’s DCache software and is 
compatible with all PC software and EMS, EEMS, and 
EGA. 



SI 

Sieve 

MS C (sec) 

Shuttle 
Regen (sec) 

Price 

PC 

1.0 

5.88 

100(12)* 

- 

9 MHz FastCACHE-286 

7.1 

1.32 

28 (7)* 

$399 

12 MHz FastCACHE-286 

10.3 

.93 

22 (6)* 

$599 


MICROWAY ... Respected throughout the industry for high quality engineering, service and technical support. 

Dealer, VAR, university and corporate inquiries are welcome. 


The World Leader in 8087 Support 

P.O. Box 79, Kingston, Mass. 02364 USA (617) 746-7341 
32 High St., Kingston-Upon-Thames, England, 01-541-5466 

FastCACHE-286, 287Turbo, 287TurboPLUS and 286TurboCACHE are trademarks of MicroWay. Inc. MicroWay is a registered trademark of Microway. Inc. 


CIRCLE NO. 24^ ON READER SERVICE CARD 





UNIFY 


FIGURE 2: Mailing Label Query 


lines 0/ 

select unique author.In, author.fn, addr, city, stcode, azip from 
article, author 

where [In = aut1_ln and fn = aut1_fn and avol_yol = 3 and 
avolnum = 5] 

or tin = aut2_ln and fn = aut2_fn and avol_vol = 3 and 
avol_num = 5] 

into auttemp/ 


This query selects the names of the authors and coauthors in 
a given issue (for example, vol. 3, no. 5) from the article file 
and it pulls their addresses from the author file. 


FIGURE 3l RPT Reporting Language 


before aut1_ln 

print aut1_ln /+','+ aut1_fn in column 5 

before avol_vol 
skip 

detail 

print title in column 25 no newline 
print avol_vol using '####* in column 86, 
avol_num using •####' in column 91, 
pmt using '##,##&.&&' in column 98, 
bonus using '#&.&&' in column 110, 
comp using in column 120 


Some learning time will be required to grasp the reporting 
language syntax; the documentation does provide several de 
tailed, step-by-step examples of its implementation. 


DOS or batch files. RPT scripts can, of 
course, be edited from the unify menu 
as can any ASCII file. 

RPT has no access to the unify 
database in the way that SQL does. In¬ 
stead, RPT gets its data from fixed-field- 
length ASCII files generated by SQL or 
LST. These files may be ordinary files, 
or temporary files accessed through 
DOS pipes. RPT is adequately, if not 
completely, described, including sam¬ 
ples of fairly complex reports. 

Some RPT commands and func¬ 
tions must be inferred. For example, 
RPT has no documented command to 


print a disk file. It is left for the opera¬ 
tor to determine that RPT prints to stan¬ 
dard output, which can be redirected to 
a disk file. This matter is discussed in 
the SQL chapter in the reference man¬ 
ual under “Executing Stored Queries.” 
This deficiency in the documentation is 
no doubt related to unify’s UNIX heri¬ 
tage. In UNIX, piping and redirection 
are basic concepts with which everyone 
can be assumed to be familiar. 

The syntax for RPT scripts will take 
time to master. (Refer to the fragment 
of code used to generate one of the PC 
Tech Journal benchmark standard re¬ 


ports, as shown in figure 3.) The cor¬ 
rect syntax is difficult to understand 
from the examples in the manual, thus 
it is easy to commit syntax errors. In ad¬ 
dition, die error messages issued by 
RPT are generally uninformative (as are 
those issued by unify SQL, although 
SQL is easier to debug). When RPT 
finds a runtime error, it usually does 
not terminate, and it cannot be inter¬ 
rupted from the keyboard, short of re¬ 
booting. Not allowing user-interruption 
of SQL is reasonable because SQL could 
be posting transactions to the database, 
but diere is no excuse for locking the 
user out of RPT. 

A word on sorting efficiency (one 
more subject not covered in the docu¬ 
mentation). Both SQL and RPT have the 
capability to sort data, and obviously it 
is not necessary to sort twice. Because 
SQL has full access to the database keys, 
while RPT must deal with a raw ASCII 
file, it seems obvious that RPT would al¬ 
ways be passed presorted ASCII. How¬ 
ever, this is not the case with unify. RPT 
sorts much faster than SQL, except in 
cases where the sort is done solely on 
keys in primary-secondary order. 

Finally, RPT exhibits another an¬ 
noying little glitch in formatting amount 
fields that are created for money. The 
user cannot eliminate pennies (even if 
they are zero) by omitting the fractional 
positions in a format string if the string 
has been declared as amount. If this is 
attempted, RPT will multiply all money 
by 100 and probably overflow the 
format strings, in addition to issuing ag¬ 
gressive error messages not listed in 
the manual (which also, by the way, 
does not warn about this situation). 

ADDITIONAL FEATURES 

For the development of a fully inte¬ 
grated, interactive data manager, unify 
offers several extra features. Transaction 
logging is the answer for users who re- 


Attention Realia COBOL Users: 

SCREENIO 2.0 

Screen Manager for COBOL Professionals. 

A strictly COBOL approach to screen management, written by and for COBOL 
professionals. Screen Design is easy with SCREENIO. You take care of your 
application. We take care of the screens! Fully compatible with Realia COBOL. 

What does it do? 

Interactive Screen Design, Full Feature Screen Painter, COBOL Data Field 
Specifications, Edit Masks, Automatic Error Detection, Data Validation, High 
Speed Video, Full Compatibility, Window Panels , Hot-Fields, Key Redefinition, 
Foreign Language Capability, Full Color Support, Cursor Management, PC Speaker 
Control, Screen Libraries, and Very User Friendly. We’ve thought of everything! 

And Best of all: 

No Runtime Facility, No Runtime Fees, Superb Support. Only $400 Plus Shipping. 
Ask about our FREE demo pack and SCREENIO+Realia Package Deal! 

NORCOM 

Northern Computing Consultants 

Post Office Box 020897 
Juneau, AK 99802-0897 
(907) 780-6464 

Telex: 5106014951 (NORCOM) 

- Amex MC Visa Check - 


148 


CIRCLE NO. 191 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 























ONLY ORCHID 
GIVIS YOU SO 
MANYWAYSTO 
TURBOCHARGE 
PC ENGINES. 

With Orchid’s family of turbos, you 
can get the performance you bought 
a computer for in the first place. Light¬ 
ning spreadsheet recalculations. CAD 
screens that regenerate in a flash. And 
large data bases that sort without 
putting you to sleep. 


ORCHID'S TURBO FAMILY 







TinyTurbo 

286 

PCturbo 

286e 10MHz 

Jet 

386 


Host 

Computer 

PC,XT 

PC, XT AT 

AT 

Reference 

Speed 

3xXT 

6.5 x XT 

3xAT 

Accelerator 

Type 

Replaces 

8088 

Co-processor 

Reploces 

80286 

CPU 

8 MHz 

80286 

10 MHz 
80286 

16 MHz 
80386 

RAM 

8K 

Cache 

lor2MB 

EMS 

64K 

Cache 





IF YOU HAVE AN YOU GET WITH 

I 3 X SPEED ~| -► ! TinyTurbo 286~] 

| 6.5XSPEED ]-► ! PCturt»286e~[ 



GET THE EDITOR'S CHOICE: 

TinyTurbo 286™ 

The TinyThrbo 286™ supercharges 
your XT to run three times,faster. Yet 
it’s so small it takes up only half a slot 
in your computer. Just two reasons 
why PC Magazine named it the 
Editor’s Choice. 

TinyThrbo 286 gives you a high level 
of compatibility. So you can run soft¬ 
ware like Lotus and Windows—with EGA 
graphics, EMS memory, or networking 
cards—at AT speed. You can even go 
back to your PC’s regular 8088 chip, 
which remains in the system, giving 
you 100% hardware compatibility. 


ADD AWESOME PERFORMANCE: 

PCturbo 286e™ 

For power users, the front runner 
today in accelerators is clearly the 
PCturbo 286e™ It revs up to 6.5 times 
faster than an XT, or up to 2 times 
AT speed—giving you the world’s 
fastest screen I/O. Plus the PCturbo 
286e comes factory equipped with 1 
Megabyte of fast RAM, expandable 
to 2. 



ORCHID 


See us at booth #406 

©€Offl©iH'/Spring < 87 

June 1-4,1987 

Georgia World Congress Cente 
Atlanta, GA 


ummmmuv 


M il l 




The PCturbo 286e is also a power¬ 
ful tool for developers and systems 
integrators. With features like an 
optional 10-MHz 80287 math chip, and 
coprocessing software for concurrent 
foreground/background tasks, the 
PCturbo 286e lets you build minicompu- 
ter-like performance into standard PCs. 

MOVE YOUR AT UP TO 386 
HORSEPOWER NOW: 

Jet 386™ 

Thke a look today at the price/per¬ 
formance leader in desktop computing: 
the Jet 3861" Depending on the applica¬ 
tion, it’s up to three times faster than 
an AT. And twice as,fast as some high- 
performance minicomputers. Yet you 
don’t have to buy an expensive 386- 
based computer to get this kind of 
horsepower. 

More importantly, the Jet 386 uses 
next generation technology, the 80386 
microprocessor. So you can run all of 
the current software for the AT now, 
and 386 soft¬ 
ware too. Add 
a Jet 386 to 
your AT today, 
and you can 
extend the 
life of your 
investment- 
fora fraction 
of the cost. 


PCturbo 286e: 

6.5 Times XT Speed 


3 y AT A.SvYT 


FROM THE COMPANY 
THAT STARTED IT All. 

Orchid introduced the first turbo for 
PCs, and has since become the number 
one supplier of PC accelerators. For 
details on our full line of accelerators, 
graphics, networks and multi-function 
cards, call (415) 683-0300 
today. Or contact your 
local dealer. 

a "" Turbo 286, PCturbo 286e and Jet 386 are 
“marks of Orchid Technology. All other 
product names are trademarks of their 
manufacturers. 


ORCHID TECHNOLOGY 
45365 NORTH PORT LOOP WEST 
FREMONT CA 94538 
(415) 683-0300; TLX 709289. 


TinyTurbo 286: 

3 Times 
XTSpeed 


3 v YT 


CIRCLE NO. 159 ON READER SERVIC 


Jet 386: 

3 Times 
ATSpeed 





















































UNIFY 


quire powerful data-recovery facilities 
in case of database corruption due to 
power failures or other mishaps. Each 
time the database is updated by adding, 
deleting, or modifying a record, a log 
record is written. ENTER, SQL, 

DBLOAD, and the Data Base Test Driver 
all make appropriate calls* to the log¬ 
ging facility. A programmed application 
also can turn the logging on and off via 
function calls. However, it is the pro¬ 
grammer’s responsibility to assure the 
logical integrity of the database. 

The transaction log is used to re¬ 
build the database after a catastrophic 
failure by the following steps (also 
called roll forward recovery’) : 

1. Read in the latest logically consistent 
copy of the database (that is, the last 
available backup). 

2. Read the transaction log to get the 
IDs of all incomplete transactions. 

3. Reading the transaction log, bring 
the database up to date by redoing 
all updates produced by successfully 
completed transactions. 

Roll forward recovery can be invoked 
either from the unify menu or from 
DOS, using the REPLAY command. 

Utilities are provided to rebuild the 
hash tables and B-tree files, in case they 
become corrupted and begin to give 
errors, unify generates automatic entry 


screens (screen forms) for all tables in 
a database schema. A facility called 
ENTER can extend these screens to pro¬ 
duce queries and reports based on field 
values entered into a screen, provided 
they have been “registered” (identified) 
with ENTER in a prescribed way. The 
particular screen forms are then tied to 
ENTER and can serve no other purpose. 
This query-by-forms process, like 
PAINT, is initiated from the Create or 
Modify Screen Forms menu; thus, non¬ 
technical personnel can generate quer¬ 
ies and repons without having to write 
a program in SQL. ENTER uses the in¬ 
put values to extract all records that 
have fields with the same values as 
those entered into the screen. The re¬ 
sults of this query can be processed by 
RPT scripts, or any other formatting 
program, provided that program also 
has been properly identified to unify. 

A developed data management ap¬ 
plication is ideally run from a set of 
linked menus. All unify programs, in¬ 
cluding SQL, LST, and RPT scripts, can 
be run in this way from unify menus by 
placing them in batch files and execut¬ 
ing the procedure called “describing 
programs to the menu handler.” This 
function is accessed from the System 
Administration menu, unify will need to 
know the eight-character name of the 



9-TRACK TAPE 
OCR SCANNING 
WP CONVERSION 


For thousands of customers world 
wide, we supplied the connection 
to get information into their PC. 

Our “SCANNING CONNECTION“ 
system can scan images for use 
with desktop publishing systems, 
convert images to text using our 
OCR software and send images to 
facsimile machines. 


Our “TAPE CONNECTION” system 
can read and write 1/2” 9-Track 
800/1600/6250 GCR magnetic 
tapes from large computer systems. 
Our “DISKETTE CONNECTION” 
system can read and write most 
372”, 574”, and 8” diskettes. 

For more information please 
call us at 602-779-3341. 


f FLAGSTAFF 1120 Kaibab 
_ ENGINEERING Flagstaff, AZ 86001 


DOS executable file, what arguments 
will be passed (if any), and an internal 
menu name that it will use to invoke 
the program, unify allows the display of 
a screen form before the program is 
run, and a message to be displayed 
while the program is running, unify 
also must be told which directory con¬ 
tains the program. 

Another interesting feature is the 
database test driver called sys920, 
which permits the entry of test data into 
a defined database, and verifies the 
functionality of the attributes and expli¬ 
cit relationships. It helps the program¬ 
mer to check the primitive data access 
functions provided in the HLI. The pro¬ 
gram is executed from DOS in the BIN 
subdirectory of the application. 

Finally, the DOS unify C-language 
HLI delivers to a programmer customiz¬ 
ing abilities beyond the powerful data 
input, inquiry, and reporting facilities 
provided automatically with the creation 
of a database. A free-standing applica¬ 
tion that will operate autonomously 
may require the inclusion of many cus¬ 
tom features, a task that could prove 
unwieldy under a strictly menu-driven 
structure. Furthermore, some essential 
features of a robust application—special 
screens or simply easy-to-use entry 
screens—are extremely difficult to as¬ 
semble within the base unify system. 

This facility should not be confused 
with the common data access utilities 
provided in various packages for C pro¬ 
grammers to write data management 
programs. The HLI is highly integrated 
with the unify database schema and 
provides more than 100 sophisticated 
low-level functions that aid in the main¬ 
tenance of data integrity, as well as data 
access. These functions provide access 
to databases; allow records and fields to 
be selected and modified; and data to 
be transformed, formatted, displayed, 
and printed in a comprehensive man¬ 
ner. This combination of full access to 
the procedural features and system 
functions of Microsoft C, as well as the 
data management capabilities of unify, 
permit the construction of very sophisti¬ 
cated applications. 

HLI’s one noteworthy deficiency is 
its failure to provide access to high- 
level SQL functions: HLI is primarily a 
low-level language—an assembly lan¬ 
guage of data management. By contrast, 
some other DOS data management sys¬ 
tems allow the programmer to embed 
query language commands in a pro¬ 
gram. Indeed, apart from all of the 
other bugs in this package, this may be 
unify’s most serious weakness for the 
applications programmer. 


150 


CIRCLE NO. 180 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 


















ADDRESS 


CITY 


STATE 


PHONE 


M\e=m 


Send to: Migent, Inc., 865 Tahoe Blvd., Call Box 6, Dept. 305. 
Incline Village, Nevada 89450-6062, Attn: Alexis 


Registered trademarks: Apple. Apple Computer; Hayes. Hayes Microcomputer Products 
IBM. International Business Machines. Trademark: Pocket Modem. Migent. 


It’s ironic. These days, modems bring the 
world to you at the speed of light. But for all 
their awesome speed and power, these high- 
performance machines just sit there on your 
desk like a low-tech toaster. 

But now, we’re introducing the Migent 
Pocket Modem. It’s 100% Hayes-compati¬ 
ble, so it works with virtually any PC: IBM, 
Apple, or whatever. It runs at both 300 and 
1200 bps. It has a full set of Hayes AT com¬ 
mands. A 28-character non-volatile memory. 
Remote ring and tone sensing. Busy and dial 
tone monitoring. And even dual phone jacks. 

But that’s where all similarities end. The 
whole modem is smaller than a 3"x 5" card 
and works on a 9 volt battery or AC power. 
So you can put it in your shirt pocket or brief¬ 
case, and take it home, on the road, or any¬ 
where else you need your PC. 

The Migent Pocket Modem. If you’d like to 
know more, send in this coupon or call 
800-633-3444, Dept. 305, and ask for 
Alexis. We’ll send you full information and 
the name of your nearest dealer. But in the 
meantime, you may be wondering why this 
modem isn’t beige like the rest. Because we 
think it’s about time a high-powered infor¬ 
mation machine looked like one. 

i---1 

□ Please send me more information about the Migent Pocket | 
Modem. And send me the name of the dealer in my area, j 


NAME 















UNIFY 


DOCUMENT EVOLUTION 

The manuals for DOS unify 3.2, al¬ 
though decidedly deficient in some im¬ 
portant areas, are a major improvement 
over those for the previous UNIX prod¬ 
uct. Moreover, the volume of the mate¬ 
rial is not deceiving. These manuals are 
not padded with basic instructions on 
data management, unify is a compli¬ 
cated, autocratic program with many 
features: the manuals reveal an earnest 
tone in a compressed style. 

Most tutorials for DOS data man¬ 
agers assume little knowledge of data 
management on the part of the user—at 
this stage in the development of data 
management techniques and practices, 
this is probably a faulty assumption. 

How many developers have fumed at 
the dozens of pages devoted to building 
a mailing list, for example, while the 
features of real interest are discussed 
only cursorily? The unify tutorial is not 
so condescending. Instead of being a 
park ranger leading the reader on a 
gentle stroll over the local nature trail, 
the unify tutorial is an Alpine guide 
hustling him up the Matterhorn. Such a 
pace is necessary, though, for unify is 
indeed a Matterhorn compared with the 
general hilly run of DOS data managers. 

The tutorial manual takes the user 
through the creation of a prototype 


wholesale distribution system for hard¬ 
ware tools, including work with unify 
menus, help text, entry screen forms, 
and modifying the database and the 
screen forms. The user will use the 
SQL, write a report using RPT, use que- 
ry-by-forms, personalize unify system 
menus, and assign security for access to 
the system, menus, screens, and reports. 
However, no tutorial is included for the 
use of the C language interface. 

After completing the tutorial, the 
user moves on to the reference manual 
and the programmer’s manual. The ref¬ 
erence manual provides specific infor¬ 
mation on all unify modules, menus, 
and commands. The programmer’s 
manual assumes familiarity with the ref¬ 
erence manual, and that the reader is a 
competent C programmer. Possibly the 
most valuable single chapter in any of 
the material is chapter 2 in the pro¬ 
grammer’s manual—a short course in 
designing a database. This chapter mer¬ 
its close and repeated study because er¬ 
rors in design are the main cause of 
poor performance and ineffectiveness 
in database applications. 

Although a great deal of effort has 
gone into the new manuals to make 
them as complete and accurate as possi¬ 
ble, serious structural and pedagogical 
defects remain. Although rich in detail, 



To Order Call 800-523 0258 


Paul Mace© 

SOFTWARE^ 
123 N. First St., Ashland, OR 97520 


Disk Optimizer, Norton Utilities, 
Lighting, and DS-Recover are 
trademarks ot Soft logic, Peter 
Norton Computing. PCSG. and 
Design Software. 


U3ZIW 


ms\g 




UNFRAGMENT 

$59.95 


0NIN1H0H 




CACHE 

$79.00 

RECLAIM 

$49.95 

UNFORMAT 

(Even when 
not installed) 

You could pay $288.85 


C<f/ Cj 66 6 


A 


or ONLY $99.00 


they are exceedingly weak in definition 
and explanation. A page showing the 
system menu tree, for example, is no 
substitute for an intuitive description of 
how the program operates. No over¬ 
view of unify is provided anywhere. 

Looking for an explanation of a fea¬ 
ture is especially frustrating: the index 
will offer a number of references, but 
each makes only an allusion to the fea¬ 
ture. Combination fields, which initially 
appear to be similar to structures in C 
or to the overlay fields of TAS-Plus, are 
not defined or explained anywhere. Ap¬ 
parently, the user is expected to pick 
up the definition inductively by working 
with combination fields a litde in the 
tutorial. The programmer’s manual im¬ 
plies, but does not explicitly state, that 
they are indeed C structures. 

In addition, unify Corporation does 
not seem to have made a firm decision 
as to which of these manuals is the true 
reference guide. The reference manual, 
for example, refers to the tutorial man¬ 
ual in many places for a more complete 
exposition of a feature or operation. 

The manuals come with sets of up¬ 
date pages, each sheet carrying about 
10 changes. In view of the length and 
detail of the modifications these sheets 
contain, it would be far better if unify 
would instead send entire replacement 
pages—that is, after all, the major ad¬ 
vantage to packaging documentation in 
a loose-leaf format. Also enclosed with 
the manuals are an extremely handy 
reference guide booklet and a compan¬ 
ion programmer’s guide. 

It is important to note also that this 
DOS translation of unify has not been 
converted completely from the UNIX 
environment. It still must read a term- 
cap file (implementing ANSI.SYS). The 
manuals are so littered with references 
and discussions that are correct only for 
UNIX that no one should use the DOS 
version of this program unless he has 
some prior familiarity with the UNIX 
operating system and can filter out the 
confusing material. In the tutorial, for 
example, in a number of places, the 
user is instructed to use field names 
that are legal in UNIX but not in DOS. 
Consider also the ECHO command: 
sample batch files derived from UNIX 
Bourne shell scripts advise opening a 
file using echo > <filename>. This 
command, of course, puts the remark 
“ECHO is off” at the head of the file, 
and ends batch files with the command 
“ECHO on.” DOS, however, always re¬ 
sets ECHO to on at the end of a batch 
file, unless a copy has been configured 
to default to off, in which case the user 
would not want it to switch back on. 


152 


CIRCLE NO. 101 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 

































The IBM function keys are used in 
the system menus. As mentioned pre¬ 
viously, their definitions are given in a 
help line at the bottom of the screen, 
but a template would be helpful. The 
command keys also have alternate defi¬ 
nitions, usually control characters, that 
are used on terminals. In another indi¬ 
cation of the generic nature of the doc¬ 
umentation, the IBM function keys ap¬ 
pear in only two definition tables and 
are given no distinct names; they do not 
appear in the text or in the help 
screens printed in the manuals. The on¬ 
line help is simple, but adequate. 

Perhaps more in acknowledgement 
of the program’s complexity than as an 
admission of weakness in the documen¬ 
tation (although certainly it may prove 
worthwhile, all things considered), 
unify Corporation strongly encourages 
its users to take one of the courses in 
unify taught in Oregon and New Jersey 
periodically. These courses include one 
for applications developers (four days 
for $995), another on the C HLI (one 
day for $195), and an overview that is 
intended for database administrators 
(two days for $495). 

The technical support personnel at 
unify Corporation are currently much 
more familiar with the UNIX product 
than with the DOS. The number of 
DOS users is still so few (and those 
who are using this new product are al¬ 
most all experienced with the UNIX 
product) that the staff does not have a 
sufficient solved-problem base to deal 
confidently with difficulties peculiar to 
the DOS version. Nevertheless, the sup¬ 
port staff seems eager to assist. They ap¬ 
peared competent and were able to 
handle the few serious problems that 
cropped up during the review. 

The DOS unify package costs about 
$800; support is free for 90 days, and 
the company offers a money-back guar¬ 
antee for that same period. After that, 
full support and free upgrades for DOS 
unify will cost $750 annually. For $500, 
the user receives written support and 
discounts on future upgrades. For $300, 
he enjoys discounts on future releases, 
but no oral or written support. These 
are the only programs available. 

ADEQUATE, BUT NOT STERLING 

In performing the sample application 
specified by PC Tech Journal for all 
reviews in this series (see ’’Evaluating 
Data Managers as Development Tools,” 
Julie Anderson, August 1985, p. 46), the 
first test is the entry of the database 
schema. Because unify has an all-inclu¬ 
sive data dictionary, the schema must 
be specified completely before any part 




The COBOL that pays for itself... 
the very first time you use it! 


Programming costs can be expensive. 

Even when you create a simple data entry 
screen like the one you see here. This one 
took about 8 hours to create using exten¬ 
sions to the ACCEPT7DISPLAY verbs you’d 
find in any other COBOL. When you con¬ 
sider the hourly rates of programmers, 
development costs can quickly get out 
of hand. And there goes the budget. 

But there’s a better way. With Visual 
COBOL’s integrated Screen Management 
System, you can create the same screen in 
less than 30 minutes. You save a full day of 
development time. And several hundred 
dollars in programming costs. Which 
means your budget for software develop¬ 
ment will go a lot farther. 

Beyond its incredible Screen Manage¬ 
ment System, Visual COBOL is also a high 
performance native code COBOL compiler 
that features fast execution, a powerful in¬ 
teractive debugger, blazing SORT, multi- 
keyed ISAM, extended CHAINing utilities, 
GSA certification, and much more. 


Visual COBOL. The only COBOL that 
pays for itself. Again and again and again. 
Call mbp today for complete details. It 
can help you make the most out of your 
development budget. 

Visual COBOL. 
$795. 

No copy protection. No runtime fees. 
Superb technical support. 

Try Visual COBOL for the 
IBM PC for 60 days, absolutely 
free. Call mbp today. 

mbp Software and Systems 
Technology, Inc. 

1131 Harbor Bay Pkwy, Suite 260 
Alameda, California 94501 

800-231-6342 
800-346-48485. 



JUNE 1987 


CIRCLE NO. 225 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


153 







UNIFY 


FIGURE 4: Benchmark Results 


BENCHMARK TASK TIME 


A. Add 900 records to an empty database table 186 

B. Index table on two fields (7 bytes) 38 

C. Document and tally codes from one column 22 

D. Mass change of one column (28 rows of 900) 12 

E. Extract selected records to create a text file 6 



unify 1 1 

AVERAGE, PRODUCTS REVIEWED TO DATE mm 

All times are in seconds. 

All benchmarks were run on an IBM PC/AT (6 MHz) with 640KB memory. The tests 
were run in an 8MBpartition on a CMI20MB disk under DOS 3-0. 


UNIFY was faster than average on all but the first benchmark, and it ran about 
average on that test despite the considerable overhead added by data validation. 


of the database can be created, since it 
is all done at once. This part of the 
sample application went without a 
hitch, (unify’s performance in the 
benchmarks is shown in figure 4.) 

The unify reference feature was 
used to create explicit references 
among the data files. This makes data 
validation automatic: for example, only 
valid state postal codes can be imported 
into the author file, and only existing 
authors and issues can be imported into 
the article file. Of course, these explicit 
relationships restrict the order in which 
files can be imported. 

All delimited ASCII files used in 
the sample application were imported 
using single statements in SQL (aside 
from setting the separator to , instead of 
SQL’s default I), but the ASCII files had 
to be massaged first with a text editor 
to remove the quote marks, which unify 
treats as field characters. 

unify protested at importing a 
numeric field that was null in the de¬ 
limited ASCII file, rather that being ex¬ 
plicitly given as zero. Even so, the num¬ 
ber was correctly imported as a zero. 


The behavior of DBLOAD also was in¬ 
consistent in some respects: the identi¬ 
cal file would, at times, have some of its 
fields rejected and, at other times, not. 
unify sometimes seemed to want spaces 
between commas of null fields, some¬ 
times not. In addition, when a variable- 
length input field is longer than the 
field length specified in the unify sche¬ 
ma, the field is truncated without the 
program issuing an error message. 

The large author data file was im¬ 
ported almost twice as fast into a freshly 
initialized database, as into one in 
which the author file had been im¬ 
ported, then deleted, record by record. 
According to unify technical support, 
this occurs because unify imposes con¬ 
siderable overhead in reusing deleted 
records. Perhaps the best advice to any¬ 
one importing data to unify is to be 
persistent—eventually the process will 
work. When the DBLOAD program is 
contrary, recreate the database. Of 
course, this cannot be done if preexist¬ 
ing data are in the target database. In 
this instance, back up the database and 
turn on the transaction logging. 


As unify is a proven comprehen¬ 
sive data manager, specific benchmarks 
are not as crucial in this evaluation as 
for other DOS data managers. More im¬ 
portant questions are its ease of use, re¬ 
liability, and data management features. 
unify’s performance on PC Tech Jour¬ 
nal's benchmarks were adequate, but 
not sterling. Because unify hashes the 
primary key in every table, indexing 
would be expected to proceed more 
rapidly than in good data managers that 
use only B-trees. Indeed, this was borne 
out in the tests conducted here. The ar¬ 
ticle file data import benchmark was 
fairly impressive, because unify per¬ 
formed look-up validation automatically 
for the author names in the author file 
(as a result of the explicit relationship 
defined between those tables). Other 
data managers in this series did not 
carry such an overhead, yet unify man¬ 
aged to run at about the average speed 
in this benchmark, unify was faster than 
average in its performance of the index¬ 
ing on two fields (benchmark 2), and 
even faster in the document and tally 
codes (benchmark 3), the mass change 
of one column (benchmark 4), and the 
selected extraction (benchmark 5). 

Seven standard queries in the sam¬ 
ple application are designed to test the 
data manager’s interactive reporting fa¬ 
cilities. These include printing of cer¬ 
tain fields from selected records in the 
article file, payment totals and averages 
to authors, total pages devoted to cer¬ 
tain types of articles, payments per 
page, and articles received after the 
deadline. These queries test selection, 
sorting, aggregate functions, and the 
ability to relate more than one file. 
unify SQL executes these queries with 
simple, single SQL commands, without 
nesting. Thus, these queries, which can¬ 
not be performed without program¬ 
ming in most DOS data managers, used 
only the most primitive facilities of the 
unify SQL inquiry language. The stan¬ 
dard sample application reports were 
generated by RPT with no difficulty. 

In all areas, then, unify is a robust, 
multifeatured, and reliable data man¬ 
ager for the PC. Although newly ported 
to the DOS environment, for its com¬ 
plexity, it has fewer bugs than might be 
expected. The documentation does not 
afford easy entry into the elite world of 
unify experts, but it does offers the seri¬ 
ous developer a direct, if at times rocky, 
road to mastery of this comprehensive 
data manager. 1 "iTmTiin m 


Jim Roberts, Ph.D., is an astrophysicist from 
California with a special interest in data 
management products. 


154 


PC TECH JOURNAL 











































ATI Technologies- ‘ Technology You CanTrust’ ’ 


ATI’s innovative solution for displaying graphics in a simple and straight-forward manner is the highly 
acclaimed EGA WONDER. 

With automatic mode switching, EGA WONDER displays all popular graphics modes on any monitor. Taking 
the confusion of complicated software standards out of the'hands of the user, EGA WONDER eliminates the 
use of specific monitors for specific programs. Because of its flexibility, EGA WONDER is a breakthrough 
for business and teaching institutions which use many different types of monitors. 

ATI Technologies’ solution for displaying graphics on Monochrome or RGB monitors are the unique 
GRAPHICS SOLUTION and GRAPHICS SOLUTION-SP. Certified by Lotus for 132 column spread¬ 
sheets, these low cost graphic cards display Color/Graphics and Hercules software on either color 
or monochrome monitors. GRAPHICS SOLUTION-SP includes both parallel and serial ports to 
allow addition of peripherals such as a printer, modem, mouse, or plotter. 

Breaking through barriers of compatibility, EGA WONDER and GRAPHICS SOLUTION mean 
“Technology you can Trust’’. 

Reasonably priced by all leading computer stores. Contact your dealer or call us at (416) 756-0711. 



Trademarks: ATI. EGA Wonder. Graphics Solution - ATI Technologies Inc; 
Lotus - Lotus Development Corporation. Lotus logo used by permission. 


Telex: 


See us at 

)€®ffii€M7Spring '87 

June 1-4, 1987 

Georgia World Congress Center 
Atlanta, GA booth no. 1020 /1021 


/T% 


TECHNOLOGIES INC. 


Technology you can Trust . 

ATI Technologies Inc. 

3761 Victoria Park Ave., Scarborough, Ontario, Canada M1W 3S2 
06-966640 (ATI TOR) Tel: (416) 756-0711 Fax: (416) 756-0720 


Any Software, Any Monitor. Any Time — Digital Monitoring 


CIRCLE NO. 206 ON READER SERVICE CARD 





Design 


Aptos Systems’ RGRAPH, a specialized CAD package 
for the emerging electronics automation market , 
takes the design of a printed circuit board 
from a schematic drawing to the final artwork. 



mmmm 


VICTOR E. WRIGHT 



O ver the past three years, the PC- 
based CAD (computer-aided 
design) system has evolved from 
a curiosity into a mature design tool. 
Microcomputer CAD is used in almost 
every design field, but for drafting, not 
design. Few disciplines use their micros 
to host systems that apply CADD (com¬ 
puter-aided design and drafting) or CAE 
(computer-aided engineering). 

Electronics designers, however, is 
one group that does. Of course, the 
design process begins in the mind of 
the designer, but when the schematic is 
created using a CAD system, many of 
the subsequent steps can be performed 
more or less automatically. The front- 
end circuit schematic includes logical 
relations between components that 
must be consistent with those same 
relations in the physical board layout. 
Moreover, the schematic must be such 
that the designer can infer the physical 
relationships from it. 

rgraph from Aptos Systems is an 
end-to-end system for printed circuit 
board (PCB) design that offers these 
sophisticated capabilities. Using its facil¬ 


ities, the designer can create a circuit 
schematic on the display and produce 
final artwork for the production of the 
PCB, while generating minimal paper in 
the process. Not only can the circuit be 
designed on a microcomputer, it can be 
tested on one as well. ( Another elec¬ 
tronic schematic and PCB layout pack¬ 
age is Personal CAD Systems' PCB-3/re¬ 
viewed in “End-to-End Design," Richard 
Angell, November 1986, p. 96 and De¬ 
cember 1986, p. 155.) 

The rgraph system (version 1.7) 
provides the electronic circuit designer 
with a set of tools that automates tasks 
ranging from schematic layout to pro¬ 
duction of final artwork masters on a 
photoplotter. The system consists of 
several programs that communicate via 
a common datalxise (in Aptos terminol¬ 
ogy). First, the namesake program, 
RGRAPH.EXE, is a specialized CAD sys¬ 
tem used to create both schematic and 
physical layout drawings. RCAP.EXE 
reads the schematic drawing database 
file and extracts various lists from the 
file. RSIM.EXE produces input files for 
simulation programs from a circuit 


described in a schematic database file. 
COMNODE.EXE compares schematic 
drawings with physical layout drawings 
to locate errors in electrical connectiv¬ 
ity. Other rgraph utility programs drive 
plotters and display help messages. The 
autorouter subsystem, autotools, com¬ 
prises several programs that also inter¬ 
act with the common database. 

rgraph also has a substantial library 
of circuit components. It includes sym¬ 
bols for analog, discrete, TTL (transis¬ 
tor-transistor logic), CMOS (complimen¬ 
tary metal oxide silicon), ECL (emitter- 
coupled logic), surface-mount, and mi¬ 
croprocessor components. 

The complete rgraph system is dis¬ 
tributed on 12 diskettes, 6 containing 
programs and data files and 6 contain¬ 
ing component libraries. The installa¬ 
tion diskette also serves as the key disk¬ 
ette for the program's copy-protection 
scheme—it must be in drive A: before 
rgraph is started. The rgraph system 
flow is shown schematically in figure 1. 

The process begins with schematic 
design created using the rgraph editor 
in a schematic design mode. ^ 









AUTOMATED DESIGN 



The photoplot utilities convert a photoplot file into a form that can be displayed within the RGRAPH graphics editor. 


design is complete, the resulting data¬ 
base is processed through RCAP to ex¬ 
tract a net list, component placement, 
airline (ratsnest) placement macro files, 
and other optional data files. Then the 
physical layout database is produced, 
with optional (though recommended) 
use of the physical component and air¬ 
line placement macro files. The airline 
of the physical layout database may be 
edited directly to produce a routed PCB 
or used as input to autotools. The 
routed PCB, which may or may not be 
100-percent routed by autotools, may 
require manual editing. Finally, the 
routed PCB layout database is plotted 
for use as final artwork. 

The PCB itself is ready for produc¬ 
tion when the artwork is produced, but 
the design process may not be com¬ 
plete at that point, rgraph will produce 
a routed PCB with unnamed nets (con¬ 
ductors), assigning default names, and 
will select physical parts for packaging. 
(The translation of the symbols in a 
schematic into parts that are used on 
the PCB layout is referred to as packag¬ 
ing. Packaged parts appear in the librar¬ 
ies as both symbols and their part coun¬ 


terparts.) However, the design loop is 
closed when the schematic database is 
updated, or back-annotated to reflect 
any changes made during the layout 
process. These include reference desig¬ 
nators that may have been changed. 

The rgraph system requires a PC/ 
XT, PC/AT, or compatible with 640KB 
RAM, 8087/80287 numeric coprocessor, 
10MB hard disk, 1.2MB or 360KB dis¬ 
kette drive, at least one serial port, and 
a system monitor and display adapter. 
The package can be purchased with the 
required graphics display adapter—a 
Control Systems Artist I graphics con¬ 
troller—for use with a high-resolution 
monitor as a second monitor. The pro¬ 
gram is factory-configured for a Mitsu¬ 
bishi 69xx monitor, which produces a 
l,024-by-768 pixel display. Configura¬ 
tion files are included for the Princeton 
Graphics SRI 2 monitor (noninterlaced) 
and for the Princeton HX12 monitor 
(interlaced). Both Princeton monitors 
produce 640-by-400 pixel displays when 
driven by the Artist I. 

The user must supply a pointing 
device and hard-copy output devices. 
rgraph supports the Logitech Mouse, 


the Mouse Systems Mouse, the Hitachi 
Tiger digitizer, and the Calcomp 2000 
series digitizers. Among the supported 
output devices are Epson FX printers, 
the Gerber Photoplotter, Houston In¬ 
strument pen plotters, IOLINE pen plot¬ 
ters, the Zeta 822 pen plotter, the Cal- 
Comp 1043 pen plotter, and any Hew¬ 
lett-Packard or compatible pen plotter. 

SYSTEM ARRANGEMENT 

RGRAPH.EXE seems to have been de¬ 
signed specifically for electronic circuit 
design, but it can be used for general 
drafting, with a few limitations. The 
drawing world is 64,000-by-64,000 ad¬ 
dressable units, which can represent 
mils, inches, centimeters, millimeters, 
or microns. Selecting mils as the name 
of the drawing unit produces the limits 
of 64 inches by 64 inches, assuming a 
1:1 drawing-to-board-size ratio. This is 
small compared to that of a general 
purpose CAD system, but certainly large 
enough for PCB design. If the design 
organization performs board layout 
with a minimum database unit of .3 mil, 
the drawing world is effectively limited 
to 32 inches by 32 inches. 


158 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




























































































































fflWBlUTItS 

o 32 Concurnwllij uwiitina task* 
n S<jsl»!»t t>rini11utrs i«rnlt taplMMitUllbn nP 

o RitMiiMog UM.InlwUdi coonUiMtfnu prlniltvi.’S 
<t r«H jinvnpllw;, line slwrinj ami real-tine kero 


mm 


Executes «U 90S systen calls ul 
Ordered gateway to E<0S enforces 
yrlorltlzation 


High Fsrfomaiwo nomiclirow/colo 


MX OmoMtratlm Systen 

(C> 1986 Baker * Bablnowltx, Inc 


Intemipt-drlven asynchronous so 
Keyboard, printer, parallel I/O 
Interrupt-sector natusenent tool 
NOTE: All tool* cone conplote u 


type any key to return to 103 


fc(y fooo 

M2G1 -120/240 
i>owen supply 


THIS PG/XF-GQMmniBLE INDUSTRIAL COMPUTER 
MAY HAVE ONE FAILMG.-EVERY 7 YEARS. 


That’s the Pro-Log System 2 Mean 
Time Between Failures (MTBF) at 
55°C. When you need reliability, that’s 
it. An industrial computer that works 
and keeps on working for the life of 
your application. And it’s covered by a 
5-year limited warranty. 

A HUGE SOFTWARE POOL 

System 2 comes with Microsoft’s MS- 
DOS 3.2 operating system and runs 
Lotus 1-2-3 and Flight Simulator. So 
it’s PC/XT-compatible, right down to 
the chip level. Which is important for 
running industrial software, where real 
time response is needed. 

Data acquisition, process monitoring 
and control, and multitasking software, 
plus a wide selection of editors, 
debuggers, and high-level languages 
are available. Many of them from 
Pro-Log. 

HARD-WEARING HARDWARE 

System 2 is based on the industry- 
standard STD BUS. So a wealth of 
industrial quality add-on products is 
available from over 100 STD BUS 
manufacturers. 

Circle No. 233 for Literature, No. 234 for Direct Factory Contact. 


PUIS ROOM TO EXPAND 

You expand System 2 by simply plug¬ 
ging in additional STD BUS cards. Up 
to 23 expansion slots are available and 
many options, such as 640K bytes of 
memory, EGA/Keyboard interface, 
and printer interface, can be factory 
installed. 



Grew up in the school of hard No fan or heat sink needed, 
knocks. Secured on 4 sides, could be battery powered. 
System 2 withstands 10gs of Consumes as little as 1.25 


Works in places you wouldn’t. 
0° to 65°C operating 
temperature range 


If it fails, down-time is 
minimized. All boards can be 
replaced in under 5 minutes 


Can be isolated from dirt, 
moisture, and corrosion. Can 
be totally sealed in rack or 
NEMA Enclosures 


A DISK DRIVE FOR 
EVERY APPLICATION 

System 2 can be configured with IBM- 
compatible 3‘/2-inch or 5‘/4-inch floppy 
disk drives and a 20M-byte hard disk.* 
For minimum power, maximum relia¬ 
bility and temperature range, select 
semiconductor (ROM and RAM) disk 
drives. 

Take care of your next 7 years 
TODAY. Call toll-free (800) 538-9570 
or write Pro-Log Corporation 2560 
Garden Road, Monterey, CA 93940 

♦Thermal and mechanical specifications are reduced by the 
use of mechanical disk drives. 

MS-DOS 3.2 and Flight Simulator are registered trademarks 
of Microsoft Corp. Lotus 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of 
Lotus Development Corp. IBM is a registered trademark of 
International Business Machines Corp. 


PRO-LOG 

CORPORATION 


USA TLX: 171879, Australia (02) 419-2088; Canada (416) 625- 
7752; England (0252) 851085; France (1) 3956-8143; Germany 
(07131) 50030; Italy (2) 498-8031; Switzerland (01) 624 444 




































AUTOMATED DESIGN 



brary parts require disk access, and be¬ 
cause most drawings contain library 
parts, rgraph is confined to redrawing 
the screen at the speed allowed by disk 
access. As with most CAD systems, the 
screen can be refreshed from memory. 

Some rgraph commands cause the 
current drawing to be saved to disk and 
reloaded after the command (or mode) 
is exited. The save and reload opera¬ 
tions are reasonably fast; they take place 
at approximately the same speed as 
drawing regeneration because of 
zooming and panning. 

As for component limitations, a 
PCB design can contain 1,000 parts, 

2,000 nets, and 12,000 pins. A drawing 
can be organized into 50 layers and 10 
hierarchical levels. A schematic design 
can be organized into 50 sheets, each of 
which can contain 1,000 symbols, 1,200 
nets, and 5,000 pins. In fact, these limits 
do not result from the database struc¬ 
ture, which, by virtue of the large 
libraries and compact part references 
can allow very large designs, but from 
the capabilities of RCAP. More signifi¬ 
cant is the fact that the limits of the da¬ 
tabase can be reached and surpassed, 
with the problem coming to light only 
when the design is processed by RCAP. 
Aptos has said that the limitations will 
be removed in the next release, thus 
alleviating this problem. 

Although the program will run on 
an XT with a 10MB hard-disk drive, the 
recommended machine is an AT with a 
20MB or 30MB drive. Capacity is the 
issue. As distributed, the rgraph soft¬ 
ware requires approximately 4MB of 
disk storage. If autotools is installed on 
the same computer, an additional 2MB 
of storage space is needed. If additional 
parts are added to the libraries, a 10MB 
disk could quickly become inadequate, 
even if no other resident software were 
installed on the system. Large designs 
can occupy disk storage space on the 
order of 500KB per design, and pans 
added to the symbol libraries require 
about 1KB per part. Even so, Aptos says 
that a 10MB hard disk can store 20 
large designs, along with the system 
software and symbol libraries, which 
would seem adequate for a small elec¬ 
tronics firm with only a few board-level 
products in its line. However, a product 
under development may well be stored 
in several versions. Thus, storage capac¬ 
ity is a substantial consideration in 
using this package. 

rgraph uses the graphics monitor 
and the system monitor in a dual-screen 
configuration. The graphics monitor dis¬ 
plays the drawing window, an optional 
menu, and a command line. The system 

PC TECH JOURNAL 


The drawing database is also lim¬ 
ited in the number of items that it can 
accommodate. A single database file is 
limited to 64KB. This limit is mislead¬ 
ing, however, because it is not parts 
that are stored in the database, but 
rather references to parts. Parts refer¬ 
ences vary in size, but they generally 
run about a dozen bytes. 

When the drawing is regenerated 
for any reason, the library files are read 
for parts definitions. The drawing data¬ 
base is effectively limited to the size of 
a single 64KB database file plus a maxi¬ 


mum 10 library files. Each library file 
can contain as many as 600 parts, each 
of which can be approximately 64KB. 
This evaluates to about 39MB. It is clear 
that rgraph has a substantial capacity— 
the limitations of the host hardware are 
more likely to be reached first. 

The 64KB limitation allows an 
entire database to be stored in RAM, 
which would permit fast regeneration 
of the database per se. Layers that con¬ 
tain traces or airlines can be redrawn at 
the speed allowed by the graphics 
board. However, layers that contain li- 


from any 1600 bpi tape into your IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible with 
Digi-Data’s 2000 PC™. Transfer data at over 1 megabyte/minute, 
in up to 64K blocks with our easy to use DOS/XENIX software. 
Read entire tapes in EBCDIC or ASCII or select particular files. 
Backup your data, either in mirror image or by individual files. 

Let Digi-Data, with 25 years experience in the manufacture of 
quality tape drives, resolve your data interchange, disc backup 
or archival storage needs with a Digi-Data 2000 PC. Call us today 
at (301) 498-0200. 

Digi-Data also manufactures tape systems for DEC computers 
with storage capacity up to 2.5 gigabytes. 

DIGI-DATA CORPORATION 
8580 Dorsey Run Road 
Jessup. MD 20794-9990 
(301) 498-0200 
Telex 87-580 
® ... First In Value 

In Europe contact: Digi-Data Ltd. • Unit 4 • Kings Grove • Maidenhead, Berkshire 
England SL6 4DP • Telephone No. 0628 29555/6 • Telex 847720 

™ 2000 PC is a trademark of Digi-Data Corporation. PC/XT/AT are trademarks of IBM Corporation. 
CIRCLE NO. 123 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

•160 












UnleashThe Most Powerful 
Development Tbols 

OnThe Planet DOS. 



UNIFY DBMS/DOS.The UNIX Worid Leader 
Brings A New DimensionTb DOS Application Development. 


What happens as the DOS world expands? As a 
new generation of hardware takes over? As networking 
becomes more important? The potential is enormous. 
But until now, the tools to achieve it have been limited. 

Now a leader from another world unleashes that 
potential: UNIFY® DBMS. The leading relational 
DBMS in the UNIX™ world. And now, the most 
advanced set of application development tools in the 
DOS world. 

With UNIFY DBMS, DOS developers have new 
power to build more sophisticated applications than ever 
before possible. 

The power to write high performance “C’ 
programs that will access the data base, using 
Unify’s Direct Host Language Interface. 

The power of an industry standard 
query language—SQL. 

The power of unmatched speed in pro¬ 
duction applications. Only UNIFY DBMS is 
specifically engineered for transaction through¬ 
put. With unique performance features like 
PathFinder™ Architecture multiple access meth¬ 
ods, for the fastest possible data base access. 



The power of comprehensive pro¬ 
gram development and screen man¬ 
agement tools. Plus a state- 
of-the-art fourth generation 
report-writer. ' 

What’s more, with UNIFY 
DBMS, the potential of networked 
applications becomes a reality. Unlike 
DBMS systems which were originally 
single-user (and which have a long stretch 
to accommodate more users), UNIFY DBMS 
is a proven multi-user system. 

And because UNIFY DBMS/DOS is 
the best of two worlds, it offers you the most 
powerful benefit of all: DBMS applications that 
can grow as your needs grow. From single user 
DOS. To networked DOS. To multi-user UNIX. 
All without changing your applications. 

Call the Unify Information Hotline 
for our free booklet: The New DOS World. 
(503) 635-7777 


uniRd 

CORPORATION 

4000 Kruse Way Place 
Lake Oswego, OR 97034 


© 1986 Unify Corporation. UNIX™ is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories. 
CIRCLE NO. 156 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


AUTOMATED DESIGN 


monitor normally displays a status sum¬ 
mary, which includes various settings, 
toggle states, a summary of the data¬ 
base, and a cursor tracking display. 
Some commands produce their own 
text displays on the system monitor. 

The default screen on the graphics 
monitor has a screen menu, a drawing 
window, and a two-line command and 
status area. The screen menu is actually 
a drawing, designed to display the most 
commonly used commands. Menus can 
be created to place more commands on 
the screen or to provide specialized as¬ 


sortments of commands or macros. The 
menu can be toggled on and off, and 
new menus can be loaded during a 
drawing session. When the menu is tog¬ 
gled off, the status line moves to the 
top of the screen, and the command 
prompt moves to the bottom. The re¬ 
mainder is available for drawing. 

The screen cursor is normally a 
full-screen cross hair, but can be tog¬ 
gled to become a small cross. The full¬ 
screen cursor also becomes the small 
cross when it is moved into the menu 
area or the command/status area. 


IN COMMAND 

rgraph commands are two-letter 
mnemonics, created from key words in 
the command and organized by operat¬ 
ing mode. The general command (GC) 
mode includes commands to control 
the drawing display and settings such as 
line width, as well as to enter the other 
four modes: drawing mode (DM), iden¬ 
tify mode (ID), library management 
mode (LM), and nesting mode (NE). 
Figure 2 is a diagram of this organiza¬ 
tion. Commands can be entered by typ¬ 
ing the mnemonic at the prompt, by se¬ 
lecting the appropriate cell in the 
screen menu with the pointing device, 
by creating macro files, or by pressing 
function keys. Function keys can be re¬ 
programmed at any time to supply com¬ 
mand and argument sequences. 

Although rgraph commands keep 
typing to a minimum, they can be con¬ 
fusing—several of the letter combina¬ 
tions have different meanings in differ¬ 
ent modes. To confuse matters further, 
some menu selections invoke different 
commands, depending upon the com¬ 
mand mode that is active. For example, 
the menu selection DELETE deletes 
objects only when the system is in ID 
mode; in GC mode, it sets the grid-lock 
value. Similarly, STATUS displays color 
assignments in GC mode, but stretches 
objects in ID mode. 

Commands are terminated either 
by pressing the Enter key or the second 
button on the pointing device. Pressing 
Enter at the prompt repeats the pre¬ 
vious command. Some commands— 
those for line drawing, for example— 
remain active until specifically termi¬ 
nated (by pressing Esc or the third but¬ 
ton on the pointing device). Pressing 
Esc at one of the operating mode 
prompts returns the program to GC 
mode, although ID and LM also provide 
commands for the same task—QU 
(quit) and EX (exit), respectively. 

rgraph provides the usual assort¬ 
ment of drawing aids and a few extras. 
Zooming is accomplished with no less 
than three separate commands: SV (set 
view) corresponds to ZW (zoom win¬ 
dow), ZO (zoom) changes die magnifi¬ 
cation with respect to the current view, 
and SS (screen scale) changes the mag¬ 
nification with respect to the drawing 
limits. The latter two commands require 
positioning the cursor to specify the 
center of the new view before execut¬ 
ing the command. Panning requires 
specification of the new view’s center, 
rather than a displacement vector. 

Two grids are provided in this sys¬ 
tem—a visible grid of dots and an invis¬ 
ible snap grid. The user can define the 


Lattice Works 


LATTICE ANNOUNCES 
MICROSOFT WINDOWS 
SUPPORT IN VERSION 3.2 

Version 3.2 of the Lattice MS-DOS 
C Compiler features full support for 
Microsoft Windows—including the 
“far” “near;’ and “pascal” keywords. 

In addition, version 3.2 includes 
the ability to generate more than 64K 
bytes of static data and to declare 
objects larger than 64K bytes. It also 
includes improved support for ROM- 
based applications via the “const” 
data type. Version 3.2 is a significant 
release because it eliminates Micro- 
.soft’s claimed monopoly on future 
MS-DOS C development tools. Now 
that the Lattice MS-DOS C Compiler 
supports a window interface, pro¬ 
grammers using Lattice C can avoid 
the problems caused by switching 
to a different compiler. $500.00 


LATTICE NOW OFFERS 
ENHANCED AmigaDOS 
C COMPILER 

Version 3 -1 of the Lattice 
AmigaDOS C Compiler offers a new 
library with 100 more functions 
than the standard AmigaDOS C 
Compiler. What’s more, increased 
library modularity and new address¬ 
ing modes help reduce load module 
sizes by more than 20%. The new 
version also features faster pointer 
and integer math, faster IEEE floating 
point routines, direct support of the 



Lattice 

(800)533-3577 In Illinois (312) 858-7950 


Amiga’s FFP format floating point 
library, and multi-tasking support. 

With Version 3.1, Lattice has 
broken free of the reliance on the 
Amiga standard linker and object 
file format. This new release includes 
completely new expanded documen¬ 
tation, and a Lattice assembler and 
linker which remain compatible 
with previous software but allows 
professional programmers to take 
advantage of both the Amiga’s speed 
and the industry’s standardization. 

Lattice AmigaDOS C Compiler with 
Lattice’s Text Management Utilities, 
$225. Professional AmigaDOS C 
Compiler with, Text Management 
Utilities, Lattice Make Utility, Lattice 
Screen Editor, and the Metadigm 
MetaScope Debugger, $375. 
AmigaDOS C Compiler $150. 

LATTICE RELEASES NEW 
VERSIONS OF C CROSS 
COMPILER AND LINKER 

Version 3.1 of the Lattice C Cross 
Compiler to MS-DOS<and version 
2.12 of the Plink86Plus Overlay 
Linker are now available for Sun and 
Apollo workstations as well as the 
DEC VAX Family of processors run¬ 
ning VMS, UNIX or Berkeley UNIX. 

All Lattice C Cross Compilers 
possess the same functionality and 
generate the same code as the native 
Lattice MS-DOS C Compiler. This 
allows users to take advantage of the 
larger systems’ speed and multi-user 
capabilities when creating applica¬ 
tions for most popular PCs. 

Contact Lattice Corporate Sales 
for details. 


TELEX 532253 FAX (312) 858-8473 


INTERNATIONAL SALES OFFICES: Benelux: Ines Datacom (32)2-720-51-61 
Japan: Lifeboat, Inc. (03)293-4711 England: Roundhill (0672)54675 
France: Echosoft (1)4824.54.04 Germany: Pfotenhaur (49)7841/5058 
Hong Kong: Prima 85258442525 A.I. Soft Korea, Inc. (02)7836372 
Australia: FMS (03) 699-9899 Italy: Lifeboat Associates Italia (02) 46.46.01 

CIRCLE NO. 160 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


162 


PC TECH JOURNAL 










Announcing the high resolution high speed graphics solution 
for your PC-AT—The GENESIS 1024 Graphics board using 
the new TMS34010 chip from Texas Instruments. 

GENESIS offers extremely high speed, 48 million pixels per 
second draw rate, and high resolution, 1024 x 768 x 4. 
GENESIS offers unparalleled flexibility 


Texas Instruments 32-Bit Graphics Processor 


• Programmable to virtually any monitor (analog or digital) 

• Complete software development tools 'C' compiler, linker, 
assembler, debugger, function and font libraries 

• CGI interface 

• 16 bit bus for fast transfers 

• DGIS interface 

• AutoCAD interface. Harvard Presentation Graphics 

• Single slot form factor 

• Up to 1.536 Mbyte of on-board program memory 

• 384K of video ram 

• Bit mapped graphics 

• Compatibility with Tl's software development board 

• Simultaneous EGA card operation on separate or same 
monitor 

• Burst write mode of 1000 Mbits per second 

• IEEE 64 bit floating point capability 

• No wait states 

• Hardware plane masking 

• Soon to be released MS-WINDOWS interface 

• Dynamic pan and zoom capabilities 


Support for Multiple View Ports 
and Hardware Window Clipping 


NATIONAL DESIGN, INC. 

12885 Research Blvd. Suite No. 105 
Austin, Texas 78750 
(512)335-1550 


Up to 4096 Colors 


^IBM-POAT/XT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc. 
®TMS 34010 is a trademark of Texas Instruments, Inc. ®TI SD8 is a trademark of 
Texas Instruments, Inc. ®AutoCAD is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc. ^Windows is a 
trademark of Microsoft Corp. ®Harvard Presentation Graphics is a trademark of 
Software Publishing ®DGIS & GSS are trademarks of Graphics Software Systems 
'-GENESIS 1024 is a trademark of National Design, Inc 


CIRCLE 146 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Mil (Kwl 
. hum Cl re 
MU ( in. 
Mix 

Cfuar 
IVwv kn:l 


Fh 

H V FunU 















AUTOMATED DESIGN 



The RGRAPH command structure has a general command mode and four subsid¬ 
iary modes; command mnemonics can change meaning in different modes. 


You could buy 


from our 


competitors 

■ ■ ■ 

CSS PC/VI®(vi, ex) 

$149.00 

Micro C-Tools® 

(cal, dc, detab, entab, 
fgrep, show, sort, uniq, 
find, od, file, touch, split) 

24.95 

Dr. Dobb's® Shell (sh) 

29.95 

Lattice® Text Management 
Utilities (grep, diff, ed, wc) 

120.00 

PC Profiler (prof) 

125.00 

$448.90 


OR 

you could order the 
MKS Toolkit and get all 
these for only $139. 



CIRCLE NO. 174 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


spacing of both grids and can toggle 
either one on or off; that is, the display 
of the visible grid can be turned off, 
and the grid lock to the visible grid can 
be turned on or off. However, the cur¬ 
sor cannot be moved by arbitrarily 
small distances—the smallest increment 
is one database unit. A delta x and y set¬ 
ting controls where points can be en¬ 
tered, regardless of the state of the GL 
(grid lock) and SN (snap toggles). 

In addition to the software zoom 
and pan facilities, rgraph provides hard¬ 
ware zoom and pan. The hardware 
options carry two benefits: their effect is 
virtually instantaneous, and the com¬ 
mands can be nested within other com¬ 
mands. (Although some of these design 
systems allow software zoom and pan 
commands to be nested within other 
commands, rgraph does not.) 

Hardware zoom is invoked by 
pressing Shift-Fl through F8, for one of 
eight levels of hardware zoom. The first 


few levels of this zoom are far more 
useful than the last few. rgraph ’s hard¬ 
ware zoom is accomplished with pixel 
replication; that is, line widths increase 
as the zoom factor increases—a line 
displayed as one pixel wide at a zoom 
factor of 1 is two pixels wide at a zoom 
factor of 2. This pixel replication does 
not improve the resolution of the dis¬ 
played drawing. Consider, for example, 
the display of a component with traces 
routed between pads. If the screen 
scale is small, the space between pads 
may be less than one pixel wide. Con¬ 
sequently, the trace may be displayed as 
being wider than the space between 
pads—because it must be displayed as 
at least one pixel wide—even though 
the space between pads may be wide 
enough to accommodate two traces. 

Hardware pan is available only 
when zoomed in via hardware zoom. In 
hardware pan mode, the cursor stays in 
the center of the screen, and the draw- 


164 


PC TECH JOURNAL 


Adapted from the RGRAPH documentation, p. 1-9 


































































































ing moves as the pointing device is 
moved. (Normally, the drawing remains 
stationary, and the cursor moves with 
the pointing device.) Standard drawing 
and editing commands are operational 
in any of these modes. 

Pages are another rgraph addition. 
As many as 50 pages, (also called views) 
can be assigned with the SP (set page) 
command and recalled with PG (page). 
rgraph pages are assigned the coordi¬ 
nates of their origins and are always 
recalled with a magnification of 1. Pages 
function strictly as aids to navigating the 
drawing. They provide a means of 
recalling a previously defined view of 
the screen, but offer no structural rela¬ 
tionship between pages. 

Finally, the drawing mode includes 
two other welcome commands in 
V-ortho (vertical) and H-ortho (horizon¬ 
tal) orthogonal lines. V-ortho draws a 
vertical line segment, then a horizontal 
line segment to connect two arbitrary 
points. H-ortho draws a horizontal seg¬ 
ment, then a vertical segment. These 
commands are particularly useful for 
wiring a schematic, because two line 
segments can be entered with two 
points instead of three. 

The rgraph assortment of drawing 
primitives is complete, although the 
methods of specifying some primitives 


are limited. Lines and rectangles are 
entered in the usual way: line segments 
by end points, rectangles by diagonally 
opposite corners. Circles are specified 
in one way only—by picking the center 
and a radius point. Arcs can be speci¬ 
fied by the center and two endpoints 
and are drawn in a counter-clockwise 
direction. Text is always left justified, 
but can be drawn at any angle. 

EDITING CONVENTIONS 

The rgraph assortment of editing com¬ 
mands is quite complete. Segments and 
vertices can be added to and removed 
from lines. Attributes, layer assignments, 
and line widths can be changed, and 
entities and vertices can be moved. En¬ 
tities also can be scaled, rotated, and 
reflected about the x or y axis. Parts can 
be exploded into their component 
parts, one nesting level at a time. 

Almost all editing commands are 
entered from ID mode. An entity must 
be identified before it can be moved, 
stretched, or rotated. Only entities on 
the current layer can be identified, un¬ 
less the A (all) modifier is attached to 
the command. An attempt to identify an 
item on a layer other than the current 
one results in identification of the last 
item entered on the current layer. Iden¬ 
tified entities are redrawn in white. 


At first appearance, rgraph’s layer 
facility may seem limited, but it is suffi¬ 
cient to the program’s task. The system 
has 50 numbered layers, each of which 
is assigned a specific purpose within 
the rgraph system (see table 1). If the 
prescribed layering convention is fol¬ 
lowed, every feature of PCB design sup¬ 
ported by rgraph can be accommo¬ 
dated. Moreover, all of the rgraph 
libraries follow the layering convention, 
and autotools expects to find features 
according to the convention. Objects 
can be drawn on the reserved layers, 
but at the risk of interfering with the 
operation of certain features in the cur¬ 
rent or future versions of the product. 
The concern about this layering system 
is the use of numbers instead of names. 
Other PCB design systems use named 
layers, with predefined, mnemonic 
names. An Aptos move to a naming con¬ 
vention would be an improvement. 

In operation, the layering scheme 
is restrictive with regard to editing and 
inquiry. An object must be identified 
before it can be moved, deleted, ro¬ 
tated, and so on. Further, an object can 
be identified only if it is contained in 
the current layer and the menu selec¬ 
tions I (identify) and IW (identify win¬ 
dow) are selected. The experienced 
user will know which layer contains a 



Nothing Should 
Come Between 
Mainframe Mag Tapes 
and Your dBASE or Lotus 
Except 



Telebyte Tape Drives 


TDX Mag 9-track 1/2" Tape Systems from 
Telebyte provide faster, error-free download¬ 
ing of mainframe data into your PC. You con¬ 
trol the start-stop tape drive either from the 
keyboard or with Telebyte’s exclusive Data- 
verter software for faster file transfer — the 
equivalent of a 720,000 bit/second datalink. 

Telebyte TDX tape drives are available at 
either 45 or 75 ips, feature dual density 
(800/1600 bpi) storage and back up process¬ 
ed files at 2 MB/minute (up to 10 times faster 
than other 9-track drive systems) as a bonus. 



Enter data into dBASE® and Lotus® with no 
user programming. You do it in two easy steps 
because Telebyte’s exclusive Dataverter runs 
under both DOS 2.0 and Xenix™ Dataverter 
will automatically convert packed, zoned and 
unsigned decimal field files, as well as labeled 
tapes, from EBCDIC to ASCII. The tape 
system is also supported by software lan¬ 
guages in your PC, including C, BASIC, 

Fortran, Cobol, etc. 

Only Telebyte offers such mainframe stand¬ 
ards of reliability and IBM-compatible tape drive 
quality for so little money. 


GSA Contract Number GS00K86AGS5301 


TECHNOLOGY, INC. 1 “ 800 - 835-3298 

Telebyte Technology, Inc. • 270 E. Pulaski Road • Greenlawn NY 11740 • (516) 423-3232 

dBASE' is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate, Inc.; Lotus' is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corporation; IBM * is a registered trademark of 
International Business Machine Corporation; Xenix'" is a registered trademark of Microsoft. 


JUNE 1987 


CIRCLE NO. 155 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


165 





Get a Grip 
on Assembly 
Language. 


The award winning 
Visible Computer: 
8088 . — 



The Visible Computer is a book and 
software combination for mastering 
the elusive skills of assembly lan¬ 
guage. PC Tech Journal took one look 
and made it their September ’85 
“Program of the Month. ” 

Its an animated simulation of the 
PCs microprocessor that lets you see 
with your own eyes how assembly 
language works. YouTl be using it as 
a debugging tool for years to come. 

It's a tutorial A lot of people think 
the 350 page manual is the best book 
on assembly language ever written. 

Its 45 demonstration programs youTl 
execute with the simulator, from simple 
register loads to advanced programs 
that manipulate interrupts and perform 
file I/O. And what you’ll learn applies to 
all 86 family proces- AE 

sors, including the ^ 

80186 and 80286. not copy protected 

The Visible Computer for IBM PC/XT/AT and true 
compatibles. If your dealer doesn’t have it, order direct: 
Software Masters, 2714 Finfeather, Bryan, TX, 77801. 

(409) 822-9490. Please include $3.00 shipping. 

Bank cards accepted. 



processor as it executes programs. 


Software Masters ™ 


AUTOMATED DESIGN 


TABLE 1: Layering Conventions 


LAYER NUMBER 

RGRAPH NAME 

AUTOTOOLS NAME 

1 and 2 

Reserved 


3 and 4 

Physical outlines 


5 

Padmaster 

Parts and preplaced vias 

6 

Solder resist 


7 

VSS (ground) plane 


8 

VCC (power) plane 


9 

Drill targets 


10 

Drill codes 


11 

Silkscreen/legend 


12 to 16 

SMD/LCC pads 


17 

Local keep-outs 

Component side trace keep-out areas 

18 

Local keep-outs 

Solder side trace keep-out areas 

19 

Local keep-outs 

Component side via keep-out areas 

20 

Local keep-outs 

Solder side via keep-out areas 

21 to 30 

Traces 

Preplaced traces 

21 and 30 

Component and solder side 


22 and 29 

Internal layer pair 1 and 8 


23 and 28 

Internal layer pair 2 and 7 


24 and 27 

Internal layer pair 3 and 6 


25 and 26 

Internal layer pair 4 and 5 


31 

Not defined 


32 

Ratsnest lines 

Ratsnest lines 

33 

Not defined 


34 

Global keep-outs 

All layer trace and via keep-out areas 

35 to 39 

Reserved for future options 


40 

Reserved 


41 

Router keep-in boundary 

All layer routing keep-in boundary 

42 to 48 

Reserved 


49 

Special reference layer 


50 

Highlight layer 



The RGRAPH 50-layer scheme is used to control the visibility of database objects 
and communications among the various phases of the total design process. 


given object from the nature of object— 
component, trace, via, etc. The novice 
may find the process of locating an ob¬ 
ject’s layer frustrating. Fortunately, IWA 
(identify window all) is available to 
identify an object on any or all layers. 

Three other attributes—drawing 
type (absolute or exclusive OR), line 
type, and color—also are attached to 
layers. These attributes are viewed 
using ST (status) and changed via MA 
(mask). However, changing them is 
awkward. To change a layer’s color and 
line type, for example, requires con¬ 
structing an eight-bit binary mask to 
determine the new attributes, convert¬ 
ing the binary number to a decimal 
number, and then entering MA (The 
color and line-type numbers are not 
listed in the manual.) 

SCHEMATIC HIERARCHY 

The rgraph system establishes a 10-level 
hierarchical scheme for nesting features 
in library parts. In effect, this hierarchy 
in rgraph’s database structure is an ex¬ 


tension of the layer facility. A part can 
be drawn to include internal details 
arranged in a hierarchical structure, 
down to the substrate level if desired. 
For example, an integrated circuit (IC) 
could be drawn as a single component 
at one level, as a group of gates at a 
lower level, as transistors and so on at a 
lower level, and as the physical semi¬ 
conductor elements at an even lower 
level. The visibility of these various lev¬ 
els is controlled using NE. 

If symbols are constructed using 
existing library parts, according to the 
conventions of the manual, they will be 
nested automatically. However, the 
manual’s explanation of this facility is 
inadequate. In general, the hierarchical 
scheme is used to control the display of 
pad stacks and other details associated 
with parts and to allow the display of 
such details to be suppressed during 
the design phase. This selective sup¬ 
pression permits faster screen redraws. 

Both schematic design and physical 
board layout are accomplished with the 


CIRCLE NO. 168 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

166 


PC TECH JOURNAL 












single editor, rgraph. After displaying 
the Aptos Systems logo, the program 
prompts for a database file name, which 
must be followed by /n if the database 
is a new one. The program asks if the 
file will be a schematic database or an 
artwork database. It then asks for units, 
a menu file name, and up to four libra¬ 
ry file names. If necessary, additional 
libraries can be linked to the database, 
up to the limit of 10, using the LM com¬ 
mand within the editor itself. 

rgraph’s automation of schematic 
design relies upon the correct use of 
layers and attributes. Although objects 
can be placed on arbitrary layers, por¬ 
tions of the system will not function 
properly if layering conventions are not 
followed. If rgraph s own parts libraries 
are used, layering and hierarchical con¬ 
ventions will be followed for the parts. 
Library parts are assigned attributes 
after they are inserted. Specifically, each 
part is assigned an alias , a name that 
can be used to identify the part and that 
is used subsequently in the net list ex¬ 
traction and reporting process. 

Interconnecting lines between 
component pins also must be placed on 
specific layers. Lines between pins need 
not be assigned aliases, but lines that 
are connected only to a single pin must 
be assigned attributes. 


SCHEMATIC EXTRACTION 

Once the schematic design database has 
been built using rgraph (and saved as a 
.DBF file), the schematic extraction pro¬ 
cess begins with RCAP. This program 
reads the .DBF file and produces a vari¬ 
ety of other files, according to selec¬ 
tions made from a menu of nine single¬ 
letter commands. The program also 
operates in a batch mode, reading com¬ 
mands from a command file that is gen¬ 
erated by the first selection of the main 
menu, C (command). 

The second selection, I (input), 
reads the input database file. The input 
can be a single database up to a maxi¬ 
mum of 10. If the database has not 
been processed by RCAP previously, the 
program creates a node table for use in 
subsequent steps of the extraction pro¬ 
cess. If the program is terminated nor¬ 
mally, the node table is saved for use in 
later sessions; if the program is aborted, 
the node table is deleted. Finally, if the 
database is changed and RCAP is rerun, 
a new node table is created. The node 
table cannot be printed. 

The N (net list) command extracts 
a generic net list from the database. The 
net list is an ASCII file that lists each 
part in the database, along with refer¬ 
ence number, alias (reference name), 
library shape name, shape type, refer¬ 


ence page, attributes, and pin connec¬ 
tions by net. The B (bill) command pro¬ 
duces a single or multilevel bill-of-mate- 
rials (.BOM) report file that can be 
printed or edited. This report lists each 
component in the database, with quanti¬ 
ties, descriptions, and references. 

Another command, L (list of sig¬ 
nals), produces a list of nodes in the 
database. For each node, the file lists 
the pins connected by the node as 
device pin pairs. The R (ratsnest) com¬ 
mand produces two macro files that are 
used in the physical layout phase. The 
first file is used in physically placing the 
parts in the PCB layout; the second file 
is used to draw direct connections be¬ 
tween pins in the physical layout. 

The W (wire list) command creates 
a list of point-to-point connections for 
use in wire-wrapping prototypes. Con¬ 
nections are listed by sequence num¬ 
ber, listing two pin pairs for each 
device, along with the node to which 
the connection belongs. The last two 
commands are E (exit), for exiting nor¬ 
mally, and Q (quit), for aborting RCAP. 

SYSTEM MANAGEMENT 

The essence of making good use of 
any electronic CAD system is in the 
standardizing of library maintenance 
and the tying of loose ends through 



Arity/Prolog. Not for the meek. But Arity/ 

Prolog® is for you...if you hunger for the power to create 
sophisticated programs right on the IBM® PC. Everything 
from weather prediction and process control systems to 
database design and medical diagnostic software. 

It’s for you if you’re already building programs on the 
PC and now want to do things you’ve never done any¬ 
where but on a VAX™ or mainframe. And it’s for you if 
you’ve read all about the new programming technologies 
and are ready to start coding. 

Whatever your need, Arity/Prolog offers a total 
development environment including Arity/SQL and 
Arity/Expert. It even has an open architecture so you 
can work with other languages and software packages. 

So if you’re ready to boldly face the future of program¬ 
ming now, write for more information and an Arity power 
mask: Arity, 30 Domino Dr., Concord, MA 01742. Or 
call 1-800-PC-Arity (in MA 617-371- 


1243 ). 


CIRCLE NO. 136 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


JUNE 1987 


167 



AUTOMATED DESIGN 

back-annotation. Care should be taken 
to ensure that the symbol libraries have 
corresponding parts libraries and that 
the packaging file system is suitable. 
Changes of reference numbers in the 
PCB layout also need to be transferred 
back into the schematic, rgraph pro¬ 
vides all of these mechanisms. 

Library parts. Two commands manage 
the libraries within rgraph: ES (edit 
shape) and LM (library management). 

ES creates a special environment within 
rgraph, and LM enters a separate mode. 
ES saves the current database so that 
the entire database storage area can be 
devoted to the editing of a single part. 
The selected part can be any part in an 
existing library, rgraph retrieves the 
part for editing and allows it to be 
saved in the same library when editing 
is complete. LM mode provides the 
commands to associate additional librar¬ 
ies with the current database and to 
edit the contents of library files. Librar¬ 
ies can be created and deleted, and 
their contents listed Shapes can be de¬ 
leted and undeleted from a library, and 
the library files can be packed after 
shapes have been deleted. 

Library parts can be built in a hier¬ 
archical structure, as described above, 
but with limitations. The hierarchy of a 
part is not dynamic—that is, the rela¬ 
tionship between parts and subparts 
cannot be specified as parts are being 
inserted into the database. If a shape 
contains a pad stack with round pads, 
no means are available to change the 
pads to oval when the part is inserted 

The designer who needs several 
versions of a library part does have 
some options. In the case of pad stacks, 
several libraries could be maintained, 
with round pads, oval pads, and square 
pads on pin 1 (rgraph’s standard), and 
so on. Or, before each new design ses¬ 
sion, the pad stack symbol could be 
edited to reflect the desired shape, in 
which case the change would be re¬ 
flected throughout the various libraries. 
A third arrangement would be to create 
separate libraries containing the utility 
shapes, such as pads, customized to suit 
the needs of the project or client. Then, 
the appropriate utility library is linked 
with the database when it is created. 
rgraph searches for a pad stack and 
finds a round pad, an oval pad, or even 
a square pad, depending upon which 
utility library is linked to the database. 
The designer must avoid simultaneous 
loading of two libraries containing parts 
with duplicate names. 

The library management facility 
also provides a method of handling 
very large designs in a modular fashion. 


Each module is created as a database 
and saved into a library. Then, the vari¬ 
ous modules can be referenced in a 
master database. The master database is 
limited to 64KB as are all databases, but 
the modules can be much larger. 
Packaged parts. The rgraph system sup¬ 
ports packaged parts—physical packages 
that contain more than one functional 
part. Packaged parts are described in 
.PKG library files corresponding to the 
schematic and physical parts library 
files. Package files are ASCII files that 
can be edited or created from scratch 
with a text editor, according to a format 
provided in the manual. Packaged parts 
inserted from schematic libraries are 
introduced as individual gates or func¬ 
tional parts. They can be inserted with¬ 
out aliases and connected without 
regard to the actual packaging. 

RCAP automatically packages func¬ 
tional parts according to the parameters 
of the .PKG file and assigns aliases. 
These aliases are used in the various 
files produced by RCAP. In one sample, 

'RgRAPH provides a single 
graphics editor for both the 
schematic design and physi¬ 
cal layout, thereby reducing 
disk space requirements. 


RCAP processed a l-of-10 decoder con¬ 
sisting of ten 4-input AND gates and 
four inverters, and packaged those four¬ 
teen gates into five 74LS21s and one 
74LS04, automatically. Packaging was re¬ 
flected in the bill-of-material file and in 
the placement and airline macro files.- 
Gates can be prepackaged into specific 
ICs in the schematic editor before pack¬ 
aging the remaining parts automatically. 
Back-annotation. Once a schematic data¬ 
base has been processed by RCAP, the 
schematic can be back-annotated to 
reflect pin assignments made during the 
packaging process. Back-annotation 
functions only if the design contains 
packaged parts. RCAP generates a .PIN 
file, which contains the information 
required to relate the pins of the physi¬ 
cal parts with the components of the 
original schematic if the schematic con¬ 
tains packaged parts. Pin assignments 
are made by RCAP in the process of 
grouping gates into packaged parts, us¬ 
ing the information contained in .PKG 
files and parts library files. 


Back-annotation can be performed 
at any time after RCAP has generated 
the .PIN file; thus, it requires exiting 
rgraph, running RCAP, and then reen¬ 
tering rgraph. The BA command back- 
annotates the schematic database with 
pin assignments and aliases. (No mech¬ 
anism is available for assigning net 
names at the conclusion of the physical 
layout process and back-annotating the 
schematic with those names.) 

PHYSICAL LAYOUT 

Rather than, as some systems do, pro¬ 
vide separate graphics editors for 
.schematic design and physical layout, 
rgraph provides a single program. This 
reduces disk space requirements and 
eases the learning process. At the sec¬ 
ond prompt—following the one for a 
database name—selecting the artwork 
option causes rgraph to prompt for the 
name of the original schematic data¬ 
base. If the file is a new one, rgraph 
will prompt for parts libraries, offering 
the physical parts library counterparts 
of the libraries used in the schematic. 

If the schematic database were 
created using only parts from the librar¬ 
ies, parts could be placed interactively 
with the macro files generated by RCAP. 
Assuming that a board oudine has been 
drawn or retrieved from the library, the 
.PLC macro file is invoked with the US 
(use) command, rgraph then reads the 
macro file and prompts for the location 
of each part, by alias, and for the place¬ 
ment of the alias text If the first attempt 
at placing the parts is not satisfactory, 
they can be rearranged using the nor¬ 
mal editing commands, after the macro 
has finished running. 

Parts placement using the place¬ 
ment macro file is truly interactive—no 
automatic placement function is avail¬ 
able as in some other PCB design pack¬ 
ages. Nor does the mechanism allow 
the placement of similar parts in arrays. 
Packaged parts are assigned aliases by 
RCAP, as described above, so some 
unfamiliar aliases will appear unless the 
bill of material is studied before the 
placement macro is run. In fact, the 
placement macro file is not sorted 
according to aliases, so components 
may be presented for placement in 
seemingly haphazard order. 

When the parts have been placed 
satisfactorily, the second macro file, 
.RAT, is invoked with US. This macro 
runs automatically, wiring the entire cir¬ 
cuit with direct connections to the ex¬ 
tent that it was wired in the schematic. 

At this point, the rgraph system re¬ 
turns the user to a completely manual 
environment (unless the autotools fa- 


168 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




Turtle Souped 


Nantucket. 


Real programmers don’t use dBASE. Or do they? 

We re finding that some very swift programmers are using it to 

write some very fast applications, 
and are completing their 
projects much more quickly 
But they cheat. 

They use our Clipper™ 
compiler to combine dBASE™ 
with C and assembler. 

With dBASE used like 
pseudo-code, they can then quickly create 
prototypes that actually run. 

Then, with dBASE doing the high-level database functions, 
they use our Clipper compiler to link in C or assembly language 
modules from their own bag of tricks. 

And they’re finding that they’re linking in less than they 
expected because Clipper compiled code runs so fast and 
because of Clipper’s built-in enhancements. 

Clipper includes easy networking that provides file and 
record locking the way it should be done. 

Fast screens that can be treated as memory variables and 
eliminate the need for direct screen writes and all that tortuous 
heap management code. 

Box commands that make 
windowing a breeze. And more. 

So if you’d like to use your time 
more productively check us out: 

Nantucket Corporation, 

12555 W Jefferson Boulevard, 

Los Angeles, CA 90066. 

Or if you’re on deadline, call 
(213) 390-7923 today 

Clipper could get you out of 
the soup. 



© Nantucket Corporation 1987 Clipper is a trademark of Nantucket Corporation; dBASE isn’t. In Europe: Nantucket Corporation (Europe) 2 Bluecoats Avenue, Fore Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1PB Telephone 0992 554621. 


CIRCLE NO. 224 ON READER SERVICE CARD 





AUTOMATED DESIGN 

cility is available). The .RAT file places 
all nets on the current layer (which 
must be layer 32 for autorouting) and 
draws them as 1-mil-wide lines. In addi¬ 
tion, the nets are drawn as straight seg¬ 
ments between pins and generally will 
not follow the most direct route be¬ 
tween components, but instead zigzag 
around the drawing. This is because the 
database is not re-sorted to provide a 
shortest route for the nets as they are 
currently laid out in the PCB editor. 

Most designers will prefer to edit 
the airlines before proceeding with 


routing. The package file format pro¬ 
vides for swapping gates and pins, and 
a SW (swap) command is provided in 
the artwork mode to facilitate editing 
the airline. To transform the airlines 
into a workable circuit layout requires a 
considerable amount of editing, but 
only to the extent of transforming the 
airlines to properly laid out traces. The 
logic should be intact from the sche¬ 
matic. Obviously this is the great advan¬ 
tage to using a CAD system: it offers a 
much higher degree of accuracy than 
manual methods. The editing process 




M 

i 

r 

i 

i 

t 


a 

b 



















Date 

3 £ 

k n e 

> 1 y 

S i £ 

f 

5 o f 

t w 

are 


3081 Enterprise Drive. State College. PA 16801 • (814) 238-3280 • Telex:881612 
Minitab is available for IBM PC-compatible micros and a wide variety of mainframes and minicomputers. 


ANALYSIS 
IS SO EASY WITH 
.MINITAB. , 

[aXo- tipc oX!) 


consists of moving airlines to the 
desired layers, changing line widths, 
and inserting and moving vertices. 
Ground planes are drawn as closed line 
segments, and then the corresponding 
airlines are deleted. 

After the physical layout is com¬ 
plete, or at any time between editing 
sessions, it can be compared to the 
original schematic using the COMNODE 
utility. This program compares the 
nodes of the two files and produces a 
report of the differences. 

AUTOTOOLS 

The basic rgraph package provides the 
front and back ends of an end-to-end 
PCB design system, autotools, the 
autorouter package, is available from 
the company as an option. It provides 
an automated means of getting from the 
physical parts layout—with the airline 
conductors as input—to a nearly com¬ 
plete board layout, ready for final modi¬ 
fication before plotting. Like rgraph, 
autotools is a system of programs—a 
batch mode router rather than an inter¬ 
active one. It does not produce a dis¬ 
play on the graphics monitor, although 
it does post quite a few progress mes¬ 
sages on the system monitor. 

Written in FORTRAN, autotools 
was originally developed on a main¬ 
frame and ported to the microcomputer 
environment. This heritage reveals itself 
in subtle ways, such as the need to limit 
file names to six characters, to avoid 
overwriting files that differ only in the 
last two characters of the file name. 

An rgraph database that is to be 
autorouted must follow the layer con¬ 
ventions listed in table 1. The input 
database is an artwork database with 
components and airlines placed, that 
has been saved with all levels of nesting 
enabled. The designer can leave as 
much or as little to the autorouter as 
desired, autotools routes airlines on 
layer 32 and places routed traces on 
layers 21 through 30 as specified. 

Traces can be preplaced on layers 21 
through 30 if desired. 

Operating in its batch mode, the 
autotools user interface resembles that 
of RCAP. When autotools is invoked, it 
prompts the user as to whether or not 
the existing command file should be 
executed. If the answer is affirmative, 
no further input is required; if it is ig¬ 
nored, the main menu is displayed. At 
this point, a new command file can be 
built or the routing process can be exe¬ 
cuted in steps. Because even a moder¬ 
ately dense design can take several 
hours to route, most designers build 
files for unattended execution. 


170 


CIRCLE NO. 139 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




















































EXCLUSIVE 


The only quality multi-scan monitor that’s priced for 


What does this mean to you? 

Easier sales. Faster sales. More pro¬ 
fitable sales. 

And best of all, the Teknika 
MJ-503 Multi-Scan Color Display 
Monitor is compatible with EBM PC/ 
XT/AT, their clones and virtually 
any other computer made today. 

Its wide frequency range of 15kHz 
to 34kHz automatically scans for 
CGA/EGA/PGA. Other features in¬ 


color switch, TTL/ANALOG input 
signals, text SW (green), and the 
interface cable is included. 

The barriers are down...and your 
profits will be up. Don’t delay, contact 
your Teknika representative today. 

Exclusive 2-Year Limited Warranty 

The longest and strongest warranty 
in the industry. Covers parts, CRT 


Non-Glare 13' Screen 

Less eye strain, easier to read. 

Easily Accessible Controls 

Controls are up-front to allow for easy 
adjustment of horizontal position, 
brightness and contrast. 






I 



























AUTOMATED DESIGN 


The PCB designer can control the 
autorouter’s operation by specifying var¬ 
ious parameters, autotools prompts for 
these parameters, offering default val¬ 
ues, when a new command hie is built. 
The first parameter requested is the 
number of board layers, autotools 
offers a default of two, a component 
side and a solder side (layers 21 and 
30). Layers can be paired arbitrarily. 

The second parameter is the rout¬ 
ing algorithm(s)—three are imple¬ 
mented, ranging from simple and fast to 
complex and slow. The first is Bus, best 


suited for memory array routing. Bus is 
the fastest because of its limited search 
pattern: it can route only layer pairs and 
does not use vias. This algorithm is not 
likely to produce a high route percent¬ 
age on any but the simplest of boards. 
The second algorithm, Strategy, tends to 
establish runners in the direction speci¬ 
fied and to make connections to that 
net. Strategy will not route all connec¬ 
tions, although it will complete a higher 
percentage than Bus. It does use vias, 
conservatively, and attempts not to 
block route channels. 


Exhaustive, the third routing algo¬ 
rithm, uses an unlimited search pattern. 
This algorithm attempts to route every 
unrouted net submitted to it, makes ex¬ 
tensive use of vias, and blocks routing 
channels. Exhaustive generally produces 
a higher route percentage than the two 
simpler algorithms. Because autotools 
is not a rip-up-and-retry router, any or 
all of the algorithms can be applied in 
any desired order. If die router is 
instructed to apply all three algorithms 
in a single session, the order in which 
they are applied is Bus, followed by 
Strategy, followed by Exhaustive. 

After the routing algorithms are 
selected, autotools prompts for design 
rule parameters. The user has control 
over eight of these: bus route direction, 
number of layers to route, grid spacing, 
minimum spacing, width of trace, use of 
vias, the shape to use for vias, and use 
of via optimization. The final entry is 
the selection of nets to route. The sub¬ 
menu for this selection provides three 
choices: all nets, include specific nets, 
and exclude specific nets. 

Finally, before the router is re¬ 
leased, autotools presents a summary 
of all parameters specified, and offers 
the operator the opportunity to return 
to the algorithm selection menu or to 
proceed with the route. 

The recommended technique in 
using autotools is to build a command 
file, rather than to execute the program 
one step at a time. Specifying the vari¬ 
ous design parameters builds the com¬ 
mand file if that option is selected 
when autotools is first invoked. When 
the summary screen is displayed and 
the prompt answered, autotools redis¬ 
plays the main menu and begins execu¬ 
tion of the batch command file when E 
(exit) is selected. 

The command file need not be 
limited to a single database or to a sin¬ 
gle routing session. Additional databases 
can be specified, or additional iterations 
of the original database can be speci¬ 
fied, simply by repeating the sequence 
of menu selections. 

As noted, autotools is actually a 
batch file that invokes a series of six 
programs in sequence. Each program 
returns a value that is tested with the 
“IF ERRORLEVEL...” syntax of the DOS 
batch language. Depending upon the 
error levels returned, autotools can re¬ 
try various programs, proceed through 
the complete routing process, or simply 
terminate without attempting the route. 

The first autotools program, SR2, 
checks the CONFIG.SYS file to deter¬ 
mine whether a sufficient number of 
files can be opened. The second pro- 


The Advanced Programmer's Editor 
That Doesn't Waste Your Time 



• Fast, EMACS-style commands—completely reconfigurable 

• Run other programs without stopping Epsilon—concurrently! 

• C Language support—fix errors while your compiler runs 

• Powerful extension language • Great on-line help system 

• Multiple windows, files • Regular Expression search 

• Unlimited file size, line length • Supports large displays 

• 30 day money-back guarantee • Not copy protected 


Only $195 

Lugaru 

vS' Software Ltd. 

5740 Darlington Road 
Pittsburgh, PA 15217 



for IBM PC/XT/AT's or compatibles 


CIRCLE NO. 125 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


172 


PC TECH JOURNAL 
















Now you can run DOS 
on your AT or compatible 
while others use UNIX 
from their terminals. With 
DOSMERGE,™ the pro¬ 
gram that lets you chart 
profits with Lotus 1-2-3 
while they enter sales 
and check inventory 
under UNIX. Even use 
the best programming 
utilities from DOS 
and UNIX on the same 
files without refor¬ 
matting or partition¬ 
ing your hard disk. 

So you can compile a 
UNIX program and run 
a UNIX utility while edit¬ 
ing text under DOS. 

DOSMERGE makes 


virtually all the 20,000+ 

DOS applications instantly 
available to the UNIX world. 

With no formatting fuss or 
transporting trouble. You get the 
advantages of a double standard. 
Without doubling the price. 


’A real Unix System, System V/AT $199 (2 user); Software Development System $249; 
Text Processing System $199; Complete System $549; Call for System V 386 and 386 
DOSMERGE pricing. Unix is a trademark of AT&T. System V/AT and DOSMERGE are 
trademarks of Microport Systems, Inc. Other brands and products are trademarks of 
their respective holders. 


of thinking you've 
come to expect from 
Microport, the company 
that brings you a real 
UNIX System V for only 
$199. Including 24-hour 
support. Microport is the 
leader in logically priced 
UNIX and UNIX applica¬ 
tions like Informix, Unify, 
RM-COBOL, R-Office etc. 
And, we're first to the future 
with real UNIX and DOSMERGE for 
386-based PCs. Available right now. 
Honest to AT&T UNIX for $199. 
DOSMERGE for an additional $149. 
Order today on our 30-day, money-back 
guarantee. Or just ask for our free informa¬ 
tion pack. But hurry, the first 400 callers 
mentioning this ad receive a special UNIX 
discount coupon. Run run run to your 
phone. You'll be running DOS under UNIX 
faster than you can say 1-2-3. 

M Unix; $199. 

(800) 822-UNIX 


inCA 


Microport Systems, Inc. 10 Victor Square • Scotts Valley, CA 95066 
(408)438-8649 Telex; 249554 MICR UR FAX; (408) 438-2511 
CIRCLE NO. 126 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



AUTOMATED DESIGN 

gram, SRO, explodes the database file, 
and creates several intermediate macro 
files used by the actual router. They are 
erased when the route is completed 
successfully, but may remain if the 
route is not successful. SRO also estab¬ 
lishes a new origin for the database to 
facilitate the routing process. 

PW_MAIN, the third program, is 
the actual router. It contains all the 
routing algorithms and consumes most 
of the time that elapses in a route. The 
two programs T03C and T03H combine 
various intermediate files, restore the 


proper offsets to the database, and con¬ 
vert the database to the form required 
by the last step. The final program, SRI, 
converts the routed database back to 
the rgraph format. The result is a data¬ 
base (a .DBF file) that can be displayed 
and plotted by rgraph, and stored as the 
file specified as the new database file. 
This file contains the routed nets on 
layers 21 through 30 as specified, with 
unrouted nets remaining on layer 32. 

Although autotools is not interac¬ 
tive to the point of displaying the rout¬ 
ing process on the graphics monitor or 




9 Track 


Mi 

Connection 


The TapeLinx software includes a 
device driver and interface software 
for popular compilers under MS- 
DOS. For XENIX 286 and XENIX 386 
users, we supply a standard charac¬ 
ter tape device driver. 


Overland Data, Inc. 
Answers on Tape 

5644 Kearny Mesa Road 
San Diego, CA 92111 
Tel. (619) 571-5555 
Telex 754923 OVERLAND 


IBM PC. XT, AT are Registered Trademarks of International Business Machines Corp. 
MS-DOS is a Registered Trademark of Microsoft Corp. 

COMPAQ 386 is a Registered Trademark of COMPAQ Computer Corp. 


Connect your PC to the mainframe 
and mini computer world with 
industry standard, reliable 9 track 
tape. With Overland Data’s 
TapeLinx subsystem, you can 
import data to your PC, while main¬ 
taining mainframe isolation and data 
integrity. Our advanced data inter¬ 
change software provides byte-level 
transformations, EBCDIC-ASCII 
translation, and tape label support. 
The 1600 bpi tape drive provides 
industry standard recording density, 
with 3200 bpi for efficient backup. 
High performance 6250 bpi GCR 
drives or 800 bpi drives also 
available. 

9 track tape, a mainframe standard, 
is the most reliable backup medium 
available. PC users may now enjoy 
the benefits of 9 track tape with 
FLASHBAK, a high speed, 
file-oriented backup program for 
MS-DOS. 


The TapeLinx subsystem includes 
tape drive, controller board, cables, 
documentation, and MS-DOS or 
XENIX software. The controller 
board is guaranteed for two years. 
TapeLinx is compatible with IBM 
PC, XT, AT, and all 100% 
compatibles, including COMPAQ 
386. 


Let our professional technical staff 
connect your PC to the real world 
with 9 Track Tape. 


of accepting user input during the rout¬ 
ing process, it does echo commands 
and status messages to the screen. Com¬ 
mands are echoed along with the date 
and time when the command begins. 
Status messages are echoed at the end 
of an activity and typically summarize 
the current activity, the number of nets 
and connections routed by the activity, 
and the percentage of nets and connec¬ 
tions routed up to that point. During 
the actual routing, each net is listed by 
its alias as it is routed, followed by the 
number of connections just routed or 
by a message announcing that the rout¬ 
ing of the net is complete. 

Commands and summary status 
messages also are echoed to a log file, 
so that a summary of the entire routing 
process can be reviewed after the route 
is completed. Again, commands are 
recorded in the log file with the dates 
and times they were invoked by the 
batch file. The log file does not include 
the detailed listing of connections 
routed by net, and it is one of the files 
affected by the six-character limitation 
on file names. If seven- or eight-charac¬ 
ter file names are used for the auto¬ 
router output files, a log file could be 
overwritten, because the output file 
name is truncated to six characters to 
form the log file name. 

Both the screen display and the log 
file contain messages that are not ex¬ 
plained in the manual. These messages 
seem to indicate the current subpro¬ 
gram that is running, but the documen¬ 
tation does not provide for correlating 
the routine names with a particular 
function in the program. To the experi¬ 
enced rgraph user, these messages may 
provide useful information, but the new 
user is left uninformed. 

The autotools distribution disk¬ 
ettes include a test circuit consisting of 
53 ICs, 666 pads, and 177 nets on a 
board that is 11.9 inches wide by 7.9 
inches long. The physical circuit layout 
database is 15KB, and the associated 
parts library is 61KB. Using all three 
routing algorithms and the default de¬ 
sign rule parameters, autotools routed 
173 nets and 660 connections in 3 
hours 19 minutes on a 6-MHz AT. The 
resultant database was 57KB. 

Only two problems were noted 
while running autotools. The first was 
an embedded call to C:PW_MAIN, rath¬ 
er than a call to PW_MAIN on the de¬ 
fault disk. Most users would not experi¬ 
ence a problem with this arrangement, 
because relatively few install a second 
hard-disk drive. (Nevertheless, Aptos is 
removing the drive designator from the 
call in its next release.) 


174 


CIRCLE NO. 185 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 
















The router does not generate the 45-degree angles (like those shown in this 
screen) in the traces, but these can be added manually in the RGRAPH editor. 


The second problem turned out to 
be a matter of insufficient disk space on 
the test system. For the test circuit 
above, the program would explode the 
database and build the intermediate 
router files, but would terminate part¬ 
way through the route. Freeing up suffi¬ 
cient space solved the problem, but this 
did highlight the autorouter’s need for 
large amounts of disk space. The circuit 
mentioned above requires well in ex¬ 
cess of 1MB for intermediate files. How 
much more is not evident, because the 
only kind of warning issued by the pro¬ 
gram is the estimated number of blocks 
required for the file PWVCORE. The 
program estimates 998 blocks for the 
test circuit, at 1KB per block. The pro¬ 
gram does not estimate the space re¬ 
quired for the intermediate router files, 
but they are not nearly as large as 
PWVCORE. Free disk space equal to 
150-percent of the estimated PWVCORE 
file probably would be adequate, but it 
is difficult to arrive at a rule, because 
the program erases all the temporary 
files at the end of a routing session. 

Also note that the design rule 
parameters selected by the user affect 
not only the quality of the final board 
layout, but the speed of operation and 
the resources required. For example, 
routing the test circuit described above 
using four layers increased the esti¬ 
mated number of PWVCORE blocks 
from 998 to 1,658 and the total elapsed 


time to 20 hours 58 minutes. In fact, us¬ 
ing this set of parameters, the router 
routed only 149 nets of the 177 total 
and 607 of 666 total connections. 

The autotools interface is teletype¬ 
like, scrolling off the screen as the pro¬ 
gram progresses through the route. The 
manufacturer says that a graphics dis¬ 
play of the route is not provided be¬ 
cause it would slow the process even 
more and because most routes proba¬ 
bly will be run unattended in off-hours. 
This also permits the router to be run 
without an expensive graphics display 
adapter and monitor. However, Aptos 
would do well to provide a stationary 
status screen, similar to the rgraph sta¬ 
tus summary screen, that would display 
both a summary of the current activity 
and the history of the route. 

The use of autotools, or of any 
autorouter, does not reduce the need 
for skill in PCB design, autotools han¬ 
dles tedious tasks, but the designer is 
allowed, and expected, to control the 
design process. Indeed, Aptos recom¬ 
mends that most boards be routed in 
steps and under control of the designer, 
rather than simply being submitted to 
autotools for a single routing session. 

autotools is optimized to a 50-mil 
grid, but grid sizes that are factors of 50 
(25, 10, and 5 mils) can be specified. 
The program does not allow subgrids 
or offsets in a single session, although 
the status messages displayed during 


routing indicate that the mainframe pre¬ 
decessor may have permitted subgrids. 
Aptos recommends that boards requir¬ 
ing subgrids first be routed with the 50- 
mil grid, then rerouted using the small¬ 
er grid. All traces are routed and cen¬ 
tered on the grid. 

The current release of autotools is 
limited to 90-degree turns and T-junc¬ 
tions (even though the literature is 
illustrated with boards laid out with 45- 
degree turns—see photo 1). This limita¬ 
tion is a result of the operation of the 
routines that search the space in the 
vicinity of a turn or connection. Aptos 
currently is developing routines for 
specifying 45-degree turns and Y-junc- 
tions. These are planned for inclusion 
in a future release. 

Finally, like rgraph, autotools is 
copy protected. However, instead of us¬ 
ing a key-disk scheme like the one used 
with rgraph, autotools has a security 
device attached to the parallel port. No 
problems were noted with the use of 
this device. 

PCB ARTWORK 

The final product of a PCB design sys¬ 
tem is artwork for the production of 
circuit boards. Plotting circuit board art¬ 
work is a critical process compared to 
other fields, such as architecture, in 
which plots are read by humans, or 
CAM (computer-aided manufacturing), 
where a database can be transformed 
directly into commands to computer 
numerical control (CNC) machines. The 
optical reproduction steps that follow 
require an extremely high-quality plot. 
To this end, rgraph supports two types 
of final output devices: pen plotters and 
the Gerber photoplotter. 

Pen plots are created from within 
rgrapi i using the PL (plot) command. 
This command is designed to accom¬ 
modate composite plots showing sev¬ 
eral or all layers of a database on a sin¬ 
gle plot, or the plots of single layers for 
photographic reproduction as masters. 
The program prompts for the scale of 
the plot, the layers to be plotted, the 
plot window, the media size, the plotter 
margin, whether to send the output 
directly to the plotter or to a disk file 
for off-line plotting, and whether to 
pause for pen changes between layers. 

Plotting on the Gerber photoplot¬ 
ter is accomplished with the use of a 
battery of interface programs executed 
outside of rgraph. INTER17 reads the 
database created by rgraph and 
explodes the shapes, including nested 
data, into a single level of primitive en¬ 
tities. The program reads the design 
database, the libraries referenced in the 


JUNE 1987 


175 


















AUTOMATED DESIGN 

database, and a set of font files to create 
an output file. SETGER creates a file of 
commands for plotter set up, producing 
a .FIG file as its output. GERPLOT reads 
the files produced by INTER17 and 
SETGER and produces a file in the 
format required by the photoplotter. 
SHOWGER displays error messages gen¬ 
erated by GERPLOT. 

The output of GERPLOT can be 
checked in rgraph using the V1EWGER 
program. VIEWGER generates a macro 
file that can be executed in a new data¬ 
base. Under control of the macro file, 


rgraph simulates the operation of the 
photoplotter. This utility proves to be 
invaluable, because it quickly highlights 
an improper set-up. 

The RSIM utility processes a sche¬ 
matic database and extracts the informa¬ 
tion required to simulate the operation 
of the circuit with a logic simulator. 

(The Aptos documentation mentions the 
RLOG logic simulator, but the package 
was unavailable for review.) Conversa¬ 
tions with Aptos revealed that it is plac¬ 
ing little emphasis on RLOG, preferring 
instead to concentrate on rgraph and 


autotools. However, RSIM supports 
several well-known logic simulators— 
ILOGS, LOGIS, SPICE, and TEGAS. 

RSIM’s operation is comparable to that 
of RCAP. The menu structures are simi¬ 
lar, as are the methods of operation. 
RSIM processes the schematic database, 
extracts a node table, and produces a 
file for input to the selected simulator. 

LACKING IN SOME BASICS 

The documentation comes packaged in 
an IBM-style binder and slipcase, about 
lYz-inches thick, with loose-leaf manual 
pages, and two additional 8^-by-l 1-inch 
pamphlets. The manual appeared to 
have been published on a laser printer. 
It includes release notes, an introduc¬ 
tion, a tutorial, a reference section, and 
several appendices. It has no index, but 
does include a short glossary. The refer¬ 
ence section is arranged alphabetically 
by command name. The command 
mnemonic, which, admittedly, would be 
of little help in locating some of the 
commands, nevertheless accompanies 
the command name in the top margin. 

The tutorial, although short, is well 
structured, as it leads the user through 
a small design project. However, it con¬ 
tains a few glaring errors. At one point, 
the user is advised to name a file with a 
nine-character file name. 

In other respects, the manual falls 
substantially short of what might rea¬ 
sonably be expected for a package in 
this pTice range: At least one command 
listed in the command chart was miss¬ 
ing from the reference section. The 
manual repeatedly refers to the RLOG 
logic simulation program, but the RSIM 
main menu lists the SIMULOG program 
as the corresponding selection. An 
introduction covers some general 
points about the operation of rgraph as 
the editor, but key concepts about the 
system as a whole are buried in the 
appendixes, and even that coverage is 
brief. One appendix dealt with creating 
menus. In addition, several pages were 
quite obviously missing from the tuto¬ 
rial—the appendix ended before the 
menu was complete. Several sections of 
the manual referred to earlier versions 
of the program, and one section re¬ 
ferred to a utility program that was not 
supplied with the system. 

The autotools documentation is a 
scant 16 pages. Neither a table of con¬ 
tents nor an index was included. Al¬ 
though the manual is equal to leading 
the new user through the process of 
running the program, it provides vir¬ 
tually no guidance for using the pack¬ 
age in conjunction with rgraph. Such 
subjects as keep-out areas, keep-in 


PolyMake Make Utility 

Are you still using a prehistoric Make? Now, step up to PolyMake, the most powerful 
and flexible Make utility available for programmers using MS-DOS. PolyMake is like 
an intelligent assistant that remembers how to rebuild a program when you change one 
part of the program. PolyMake will automatically invoke your compiler, assembler, linker, 
librarian or other tools to update a single program or entire software systems when you 
type — MAKE. PolyMake can read the time/date stamps of PVCS “Logfiles” for faster 
performance and accurate configuration management. PolyMake comes with built-in rules 
for rebuilding programs but you can also teach it new mles so you don’t have to remember 
the file dependencies in your program. Advanced programmers prefer capabilities like 
fully recursive makefile processing and the ability to invoke PolyMake with special “flags” 
and macros that automate a whole range of tasks. New Make users appreciate the Step- 
By-Step tutorial and intuitive commands. Handles source files written in any language. 
Requires DOS 2.0 & higher. Compatible with LANs, the IBM PC, XT, (h \ A A 
AT and other MS-DOS PCs. $ 1^7 


PVCS 


The Most Powerful & 

Flexible Source Code Revision 
& Version Control System. 


The POLYTRON Version Control System (PVCS) allows programmers, project 
managers, librarians and system administrators to effectively control the proliferation 
of revisions and versions of source code in software systems and products. PVCS is a superb 
tool for programmers and programming teams. If you allow simultaneous changes to a 
module PVCS can merge the changes into a single new revision. If changes conflict, 
the user is notified. Powerful capabilities include: Stores and retrieves multiple revisions 
of text; Maintains a complete history of revisions to act as an “audit trail” to monitor 
the evolution of a software system; Maintains separate lines of development or 
“branching”; Provides for levels of security to assure system integrity; Uses an intelligent 
“difference detection” to minimize the amount of disk space required to store a new ver¬ 
sion. Requires DOS 2.0 or higher. Compatible with the IBM PC, XT, AT and other 
MS-DOS PCs. Single User “Corporate” PVCS $395. 5-station LAN version $1,000, 
add $500 for each additional 5 stations. “Personal” PVCS is available for (b o Q £ 
less complex, single-programmer projects. $149. q) J7D 

TO ORDER: VISA/MC 1-800-547-4000, Dept. No.310, Oregon/Outside US, 503-684-3000 
Send Checks/POsTo: POLYTRON Corp. 1815 NW 169th PI., -2110, Dept. No. 310, Beaverton, OR 97006 



High Quality Software Since 1982 


CIRCLE NO. 154 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


176 


PC TECH JOURNAL 















INTRODUCING COMTROLS x. ->x 1 

SMART HOSTESS" ^ 

A BREAKTHROUGH IN 'Ni 
SYSTEM PERFORMANCE. 

98 times less am time required for 7 (/sens/ 

Transmitting at 9600 baud using XENIX, SMART HOSTESS 
requires 1% CPU time while an unintelligent multiport 
board requires 98% CPU time. 

MORE USERS, MORE THROUGHPUT, 

MORE PROCESSING POWER. 


80186 on board frees CPU of 
routine I/O processing 
Add 4 or 8 serial ports per slot 
in a PC, XT, AT, or 386-based 
machine 

DMA, LOCAL BUS, & 16 BIT 
MEMORY transfers for faster 
data handling 

256K dual-ported I/O buffer 
256K local memory 
128K program storage 
Our new TRANSPARENT 
PRINT feature connects 
printers to terminals without 
wasting serial ports 
Synchronous & asynchronous 
serial communication 
HOSTESS is the first name in 
multiport communications 
Quality since 1982 


Comtrol 

A Division of Control Systems 

2675 Patton Road P.O. Box 64750 
St. Paul, MN 55164 

1-800-826-4281 • 612-631-7800 

Call toll free for a benchmark testing report. 
XENIX and DOS results are included in report 

SMART HOSTESS is a trademark of Control Systems, Inc. XENIX is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. 

CIRCLE NO. 178 ON READER SERVICE CARD 







AUTOMATED DESIGN 


boundaries, and routing channels are 
mentioned only briefly—the manual 
provides no insight as to how the vari¬ 
ous aspects of the board affect the oper¬ 
ation of the router. 

The installation of both rgraph and 
autotools is accomplished using the 
DOS RESTORE program, because sev¬ 
eral programs take up more space than 
one diskette. Consequently, both pack¬ 
ages must be installed in the same 
directory from whence they came— 
C:\RG17. If desired, the program and 
data files then can be copied to another 


disk drive. The library files and utilities 
furnished with rgraph can be copied to 
the hard disk using DOS COPY. 

Attention must be paid to the con¬ 
figuration of the system that will be 
used to run either rgraph or autotools. 
Both require a CONFIG.SYS file with 
FILES and BUFFERS entries larger than 
the DOS default. Both also require all 
the free RAM that DOS will allow. It is 
likely that any terminate-and-stay-resi- 
dent programs and loadable device 
drivers present will reduce the amount 
of free RAM below the level required. 


rgraph is set up for a standard 
hardware configuration. If that configu¬ 
ration is used, the system is ready to go 
as soon as the hardware is connected 
and the software is installed on disk. If 
a nonstandard configuration is required, 
a new configuration file must be built 
in a two-step process. First, an ASCII 
configuration file must be created using 
a text editor. Several configuration files 
are included, but may need to be 
edited. Second, the configuration file 
must be converted to a binary file using 
the RSYS.EXE program. 

MIXED REVIEWS 

As a CAD package at this level, rgraph’s 
performance is impressive in some 
ways, but not in others. Its screen 
response, for example, is acceptable, 
but not extremely fast. The program is 
responsive when drawing new objects, 
and when retrieving symbols from 
library files. But when it is highlighting 
objects, it is less so, because it erases 
the object and then redraws it. For a 
part as complex as a microprocessor, 
this can take several seconds. If the 
drag mode is on, the program loses 
its responsiveness when objects are 
moved. It attempts to redraw the object 
as it is moved, and in so doing, stops 
the cursor from following the pointing 
device. When moving complex objects, 
the drag mode is best left off. 

Although the program takes several 
seconds to load initially, any remaining 
disk accesses are quick. Its design data¬ 
bases are small, and its libraries com¬ 
pact. Even though the program must 
save the database to execute some com¬ 
mands, saving and retrieving go quickly. 

rgraph exhibits good responsive¬ 
ness in the execution of macro files. 
Parts placement is fast, assuming the 
designer has planned the board layout 
in advance, and the execution of the 
airline macro file proceeds as fast as the 
lines can be drawn. 

autotools is capable of achieving a 
high percentage of completion in a sin¬ 
gle session and offers the designer a 
reasonable amount of control over the 
routing process. A judgment about the 
quality of the router seems somewhat 
inappropriate, because each designer 
will judge the router based on whether 
it produces routes according to individ¬ 
ual preferences. It is sufficient to say 
that autotools works well—with the 
proper selection of design rule parame¬ 
ters. If the parameters are off the mark, 
performance may falter. In this respect, 
autotools is a classic example of the 
need for good documentation. With the 
minimal information included, the new 


mi INTRODUCES 


LOTUS EMS 
I COMPATIBLE 


80286 

COPROCESSOR 


FAST286 OFFERS NINE TIMES THE 
PERFORMANCE PER DOLLAR OF80386MACHINES 


CONVERT YOUR PC-XT 
TO PC-AT POWER AND 
PERFORMANCE WITH 
80286 COPROCESSING 

• 10MHz Operation 

• BUS Independent Operation 

• Switch Selectable Mode Between 
8088 & 80286: Guarantees 100% 
Software Compatibility 

• 8KB of Zero-Wait-State Memory 

• Compatible with 8MHz 
Motherboards 

• Free IMS Disk Caching Software 


LOTUS EMS 
COMPATIBLE 


THE ONLY EXPANDED MEMORY CARD WHICH 
CAN SAVE A DAY EACH WEEK. 


A major independent testing 
laboratory benchmarked a 
PC-XT equipped with 
FASTCARD and demonstrated 
a tenfold improvement over a 
PC-AT on typical Disk I/O 
operations. 


• 8 MHz Operation 

• 1MB of Factory Installed & 
Tested DRAMs 

• Split Memory Fills to 640K, 
Provides Expanded Memory 
Over 640K. 

• Custom Password Security 


• Disk Caching & Print 
Buffering Software 

• Serial, Parallel & Game 
Ports 

• Clock Calendar 


BUY BOTH AND SAVE! 

Order FAST286 with FASTCARDior ONLY $495! 

DEALER INQUIRIES WELCOME FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: 

PERIPHERAL MARKETING, INC. (602) 483-7983 

7825 E. EVANS RD., BLDG. 500, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA 85260 


mi 


178 


CIRCLE NO. 202 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 














autotools user is not likely to recog¬ 
nize the effects of the various parame¬ 
ters on performance. The only route 
will be to try the default set-up first and 
proceed from there. 

rgraph is a sound product, but it 
needs some refinement. Its few rough 
edges are mostly minor irritants, but 
they should be corrected. The system is 
billed as an end-to-end PCB design sys¬ 
tem, but the basic rgraph package does 
not qualify for that title. The currently 
optional autotools autorouter is a must 
if the user is to realize full end-to-end 
design functionality. 

Even though both rgraph and 
autotools can stand considerable work 
in the area of documentation, the ven¬ 
dor may be justified in assuming that a 
product such as this will be used by 
skilled circuit designers. Thus, a tutorial 
on basic circuit design and drafting is 
not necessary. However, the documen¬ 
tation should cover all aspects of oper¬ 
ating the system and those aspects of 
circuit board layout that affect the per¬ 
formance of the system. Moreover, as 
with many CAD packages, the real mar¬ 
ket for microcomputer-based PCB 
layout systems is not in the large firms 
that already have a product of this sort 
running on minicomputers and main¬ 
frames, but in the smaller firms that 
were unable to afford automation prior 
to the advent of these systems. These 
potential users are not likely to be ex¬ 
perienced computer users. The user 
can rightfully expect the documentation 
to be better written and more attrac¬ 
tively packaged, especially in a product 
in this price range. (In addition to its 
market price, training is offered by Ap- 
tos for $250 a day plus expenses, and a 
video tape is available for $250.) 

rgraph and autotools demonstrate 
considerable potential. Used by capable 
designers, this system should provide 
high-quality artwork at a considerable 
savings in layout time. Aptos appears 
determined to remove limitations in the 
system, thus offering the promise that 
rgraph will be a formidable competitor 
in the PCB design arena. 1—1^1 

Aptos Systems 

10 Victor Square 

Scotts Valley, CA 95066 

408/438-2199 

RGRAPH 1.7: $9,950 

With Control System Artist 1: $11,350 

AUTOTOOLS 1.7: $5,000 

CIRCLE 363 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Victor E. Wright is manager of process engi¬ 
neering at Luckett & Farley, a firm located 
in Louisville, Kentucky>. 


Basic does Database: 



Jb/LIB eliminates the need for BASIC statements such as: Open, File 
Read, Write, Close, Field. As, Line Input, Print #f, Put, LSet, RSet and 
replaces them with powerful call routines to let you: 

• create relational file structures • have up to 24 DBF or NDX files open 

• access fields by field name or number • manage over 4 billion bytes per file 

• index on one or many key fields • write programs to interface directly 

• find all records that match a key with dBASE III applications 

All the power you need to tackle any job! 

Jb/LIB calls look like this: 

► CALL GetREC (file%, status%, record#, recdata$ ) 

—► returns into recdata$ the data from record# of the file file%; 

—►statuso/o shows successful completion. 

Some other db/LIB routines: 


AddKEY() Puts a key into Index 
GetKEY() Finds a record based on key 
DelKEY() Deletes a key from Index 



• OpenDBFQ Creates or opens Datafile 

• DefineSTR() Defines data structure 

• PutREC() Writes a record to disk 

• OpenNDX() Creates or opens Index file 

db/LIB routines are called directly from BASIC 

• Links with BCOM or BRUN modules 

• Conforms to the QuickBASIC standard CALLing convention 

You already know how to use it! 

Ib/LIB makes you more productive by: 

letting your programs work on any 
datafile 

finding on partial keys, or next, prior 
finding records in large files in seconds 
configuring the pool segment for 
target machine 

managing internal cache memory 
buffers 

db/LIB takes your BASIC application seriously! 
b/LIB utilizes the dBASE III file format, a recognized standard. 

db/LIB is written to the highest specifications to assure top performance. 

• Full Documentation and on-disk code are the building blocks of a DBMS. 

• System Requirements: QuickBASIC 2.01/DOS 2.0+/256K memory 

Put our experience to work for you! 


employing dynamic string allocation 
assisting in conversion of BASIC 
data files to db/LIB’s DBF format 
maintaining unique key, and ‘deleted’ 
status 

trapping and diagnosing error 
conditions 


If database management is one of your basic needs, 
then db/LIB should be your next call. 

At only $99, db/LIB is specially priced for introduction by the 
publisher. Phone now for immediate shipment. 


VISA, MasterCard Accepted 

Sales and Tech Support 

INGRAM 

Vertical Market Div. 

1 - 800 - 345-3897 



AJS PUBLISHING, INC. 

P.O. Box 379 

North Hollywood, CA 91603 

“Professionals in Software” 


db/LIB is a trademark of AJS Publishing, Inc. 
Microsoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. 
dBASE III is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate 


JUNE 1987 


CIRCLE NO. 129 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


179 



























Programming Practices 


Drawing 

Flexible Characters 

By applying the principles of vector graphics to character design, 
users can create type fonts, and scale, move, 
or rotate graphics characters. 


MARKBRIDGER 


As the use of the PC’s graphics modes 
jLm.has increased, so has the need for 
flexible and convenient display of char¬ 
acters in graphics modes. By repre¬ 
senting characters as a sequence of line 
segments, rather than a dot matrix, they 
can be easily scaled, moved, and rotated 
with standard graphics operations. 

The patterns of letters must be 
stored in such a way that they can be 
expanded or shrunk to any size. Com¬ 
puter screens and dot-matrix printers 
reproduce characters from tables that 
store the actual dot patterns making up 
a letter. This kind of encoding is not 
suitable for rescaling or other geomet¬ 
ric manipulation. For these purposes, 
each letter should be stored as a series 
of directed line segments or vectors. 

For example, the letter A can be drawn 
as two sloping lines and one horizontal 
one. Furthermore, these lines can be 
stored simply by recording their end¬ 
points. Characters created by vector 
graphics allow a user to annotate plots 
and other graphics output. 

The techniques described here can 
be adapted to many languages; Turbo 


Pascal is used in the sample program 
for this article. Vector character drawing 
presents some interesting applications 
of standard Pascal data structures: rec¬ 
ords, arrays, files, and linked lists. 

Each letter can be designed effi¬ 
ciently in a l6-by-l6 grid, as shown with 
the letter^ in figure 1. The full 16-by- 
16 grid has not been used in this exam¬ 
ple. The bottom rows are saved for the 
descenders on letters such as g , while 
the last columns are used for the spaces 
between letters. An odd number of col¬ 
umns makes the design of symmetric 
letters such as A, V, or M easier; there¬ 
fore, columns 0 through 8 are used 
routinely for these letters. 

The advantage of a l6-by-l6 grid is 
that the row or column of a point can 
be specified by a number from 0 to 15. 
Such a number requires only 4 bits, a 
nibble, or a single hexadecimal digit: 0 
to F. If the upper left-hand corner of 
the grid is the origin, then a point in 
the fifth column, eleventh row, has the 
hexadecimal coordinates: 

(column,row) = (5, B) 


Joining the 2 hexadecimal digits of the 
coordinates results in the byte: 

5BH = 91 (decimal) 

When the hexadecimal digits are juxta¬ 
posed, the resulting byte is equal to: 

16 * (column) + row—in the example, 
16 * (5) + 11 = 91. The byte 91 is the 
ASCII code for the character [. 

Using 8-bit ASCII codes, any point 
in a l6-by-l6 grid can be represented 
by a character. Conversely, it is possible 
to recover the point that a given charac¬ 
ter represents by the following proce¬ 
dure: if N is the character’s ASCII code, 
then the lower-order nibble, giving the 
row, is N mod 16, while the column is 
given by div 16 (or N shifted to the 
right four binary places). 

Because a line is determined by 
two points, any line in a l6-by-l6 array 
can be encoded as two characters: the 
first represents its initial point, the sec¬ 
ond its terminal point. A character 
drawn as a sequence of lines is repre¬ 
sented as a string with an even number 
of characters. The character, A, in figure 
1 is encoded by the following string: 


180 


PC TECH JOURNAL 











chr( 10),chr( 64 ),chr( 64), 
chr( 138),chr( 37 ),chr( 101) 

Strings are declared in Pascal by 
giving their maximum size, so a limit 
must be set for the number of line seg¬ 
ments making up a character. This is, to 
a great extent, a matter of aesthetics; 
drawing a readable % or & seems to 
take approximately 20 segments, which 
leads to the following declaration: 

type CharString = string! 40]; 

Font = array[33 .126] of CharString; 

A font consists of the characters re¬ 
quired by the application, 94 in this 
case. ASCII character 32, the space, is 
not included, because it requires no 
drawing. Typically, the vector defini¬ 
tions for the character set will be 
loaded from a file. 

In listing 1, DRAWCHAR.PAS, only 
FontArray[65] (the character A) has 
been entered into FontArray in the pro¬ 
cedure LoadFonts. The reading of the 
actual FONTS hie into FontArray has 
been enclosed in a comment because 
this hie is prepared by the user. 


It is equally reasonable to record 
the bytes just as bytes, instead of strings 
of characters. The advantage of charac¬ 
ter strings is that many versions of Pas¬ 
cal and other languages provide fast 
procedures for manipulating strings. 

DRAWING THE CHARACTERS 

Once a character is encoded, it can be 
scaled and drawn on die screen quite 
easily. First, the endpoints of the line 
segments are retrieved from the encod¬ 
ing, and then the actual line can be 
drawn using a standard line-drawing 
procedure, such as Turbo Pascal’s Draw. 
This results in the creation of a charac¬ 
ter 16-pixels wide and 16-pixels high 
(counting available spaces in the grid 
that may not be actually used), located 
in the upper left hand corner of the 
screen. The letter, A, in hgure 1 would 
be 9-pixels wide and 11-pixels high. 

To create an A that is 3 times as 
wide and 2 Vz times as high, each column 
coordinate should be multiplied as it 
is decoded by 3.0, and each row by 2.5. 
Screen coordinates must be integers, so 
these products must also be rounded to 


the nearest integer. The horizontal and 
vertical scaling factors, 3.0 and 2.5 in 
this case, are called xScale (or xStretch) 
and yScale (or yStretch) in listing 1. 

Scaling in this way produces a 
character that is approximately 3 times 
as wide and 2 ^ times as high. This is 
because reals must be rounded to in¬ 
tegers, and because length on the 
graphics screen is not calculated the 
same way as length in mathematical 
coordinates. For example, a segment 
from (0,0) to (8,0) has a mathematical 
length of 8, but in actuality it is 9-pixels 
long. This discrepancy should not pre¬ 
sent any problems to the user. 

Once a character’s scaled end¬ 
points are determined, moving it to the 
screen position (x, y), where — 
screen column andj = screen row, is 
accomplished by adding x to each end¬ 
point’s column coordinate, and y to 
each row coordinate. The transforma¬ 
tions are as follows: 

(col,row) -*• 

(col*xScale, row*yScale) -*• 

(col*xScale -1- x,row*yScale + y) 


JUNE 1987 


181 


ILLUSTRATION • MACIEK ALBRECHT 


















































































































































PROGRAMMING PRACTICES 


The complete decoding and drawing is 
in procedure DrawString in listing 1. 

A character can be drawn to any 
size and placed anywhere on the 
screen. Such a drawing is determined 
by the ASCII code of the character 
(used to look up its encoding in 
FontArray), its row and column, and its 
scale factors, xScale and yScale. This 
comprises the information for a node in 
a linked list. Such a list is created for 
each of the 200 rows on the PC screen. 
Each time a character is created whose 
upper left-hand corner lies in a particu¬ 
lar row, the node corresponding to that 
size character is added to the list. 

The declaration of the type Node 
describes the information needed to 
draw a character (see listing 1). The 
variable Lines points to the beginning 
of each row and is nil unless characters 
actually are drawn in that row. LastEntry 
is either nil or points to the right-most 
entry in the row. Using LastEntry speeds 
the insertion of new nodes. In practice, 
nodes are created by typing, and char¬ 
acters are likely to be inserted immedi¬ 
ately to the right of previously entered 
ones; thus, it speeds up processing to 
have a pointer to the end of each row. 

When the data for a new node are 
created, the procedure MakeNode, 
which creates the node on the heap, is 
called. The procedure Edit then goes to 
the correct row and checks first if the 
new node is to the right of previous 
ones, the most likely situation. If it is, 
then the new node is inserted in the 
list. If not, then the list is traversed until 
the correct position is found, and the 
node is inserted there. When any node 
is inserted, the procedure DrawString 
simultaneously draws it on the screen, 
using the encoded instructions and scal¬ 
ing factors. DrawString uses a pointer to 
the node to be drawn, as well as an in¬ 
teger designating the row (a byte would 
suffice for the PC screen, but not for 
high-resolution output devices). 

Provision for the erasure of an en¬ 
tered node must be made. A Boolean 
variable mode distinguishes between 
adding and deleting a node: mode = 7 
(representing the color white in Turbo 
Pascal’s Draw procedure) is for inser¬ 
tion, and mode = 0 (black) is for dele¬ 
tion. The Edit procedure also can be 
used to handle deletion. 

If mode = 0, the list for the appro¬ 
priate row is scanned to see if a charac¬ 
ter is in the desired column; if so, then 
the scanning continues over characters 
in that column (several may have been 
overlaid) to see if one with a matching 
ASCII number is present. If it is, then 
the pointers are routed around it, and 


FIGURE 1: Character Example 



The letter A is placed in a l6-by-l6 
grid. This allows for intercharacter 
spacing and lowercase descenders. 


the node is released to the heap using 
dispose. In the version of Edit in listing 
1, only the first occurrence of a match¬ 
ing ASCII character is deleted, and no 
check is made of the scale factors. This 
aspect of the procedure can be modi¬ 
fied if necessary. 

The procedure DrawString draws 
the line segments in the color mode. If 
a node is being deleted, it is drawn in 
the background color, erasing it from 
the screen as well as from the list. 

USING THE LISTS 

When all of the adding and deleting has 
been done, the final characters then can 
be displayed using the procedure 
WriteOut. Starting with row 0, WriteOut 
goes to each row and uses DrawString 
to display all the nodes in that row 
from left to right. WriteOut can be 
modified by adding, after the call to 
DrawString, a call to a plotter’s charac¬ 
ter drawing operation. The plotter man¬ 
ual must be checked to determine the 
correct relation between the screen and 
plotter scales in order to maintain the 
correct proportion of character sizes, 
but this is fairly straightforward. 

In the Turbo Pascal code for the 
procedures described above, a simple 
driver program is also included. The 
user is prompted for the coordinates 
and scales for a character (always A, for 
simplicity) and whether it is to be 
added or deleted. The character is then 
inserted or deleted and the user can re¬ 
peat or quit. When the user opts to 
quit, the screen is cleared, and the cur¬ 
rent content of the lists is displayed. 
Pressing Enter terminates the program. 

Ideally, the drawing of characters 
should behave the same way typing 


does in a word processor. The program 
should provide a cursor, whose size 
reflects the current scaled size of the 
characters. Typing a letter should cause 
the letter to be drawn in the cursor 
position, with the cursor advancing au¬ 
tomatically to the next legal character 
position. The cursor also should be 
controllable by the arrow keys. Because 
the cursor drawing should not affect the 
background, including characters al¬ 
ready drawn, it should be made of line 
segments that are drawn in an XOR 
(exclusive or) manner. 

The Turbo Pascal Draw procedure 
can draw a line in an XOR manner if 
the color parameter is negative. If a line 
segment is drawn with a negative color, 
it is XORed with the background. If the 
same line with the same color is re¬ 
drawn, it erases itself, leaving the back¬ 
ground the way it was previously. 

Unfortunately, the Draw procedure 
is ridiculously slow—the user can ac¬ 
tually see the line being drawn. Much 
faster procedures can be purchased 
from third party software vendors for 
use with Turbo Pascal. 

SMOOTHER CURVES 

If large letters are desired, the l6-by-l6 
grid with only 20 segments results in 
rather polygonal-shaped characters. One 
solution is to allow more segments. 

This helps somewhat, but the l6-by-l6 
resolution is still too constraining. Mov¬ 
ing to a 256-by-256 grid for each letter, 
of course, necessitates using two bytes 
for each segment endpoint. Coupled 
with more segments, this uses an addi¬ 
tional amount of memory. 

Some savings can be achieved by 
drawing segments as much as possible 
in sequence and recording common 
endpoints only once. For example, the 
endpoints of AB BC CD DE EF FG are 
more efficiently encoded as ABCDEFG. 
Not every letter can be drawn without 
repeating certain segments, so the end 
of a sequence of end-to-end segments 
has to be signaled within a string. One 
possible way to do this is to find a row 
that never appears in the endpoint of 
any segment in any character. The byte 
that represents this row can be used as 
a terminator for a segment sequence 
within a code string. Another possibility 
is to use only a 128-by-128 grid. The 
high bit in each byte can then be used 
as a termination indicator. This uses the 
same number of bytes to get only half 
the resolution in each direction. 

Line segments are very simple 
curves, determined by two points, the 
endpoints, or control points. A line is 
the image of first degree polynomials: 


182 


PC TECH JOURNAL 













































ISN’T IT A PITT. 


x = a^t + bj 
y = a 2 *t + b 2 


Because a line has zero curvature, there 
is no flexibility in joining the segments. 

If, however, polynomials of higher 
degree, such as quadratic or cubic, are 
allowed then considerably more flexi¬ 
bility is evident. The most common 
choice is to allow a sequence of control 
points to determine a sequence of cu¬ 
bic arcs. These arcs can actually pass 
through the points, as in the case of 
splines, with curvature matching up at 
the common endpoints, or the arcs can 
be subjected to bending conditions by 
the proximity of the points, as in the 
case of Bezier curves. The actual mathe¬ 
matical rules determining these curves 
can be found in many standard text¬ 
books. Borland’s Turbo Graphix Tool¬ 
box contains procedures for fitting 
cubics in this way, the algorithms are 
slow, but instructive. 

Whether linear, quadratic, cubic or 
higher power curve fitting is used, the 
important principle is that the control 
points, together with the choice of algo¬ 
rithm, completely determines the curve 
drawn. As a result, any transformations 
done to the control points cause the 
curve that they determine to be trans¬ 
formed as well. 

This indicates that characters can 
be manipulated or transformed simply 
by applying a transformation to the se¬ 
quences of control points in the charac¬ 
ters’ encoding. For example, a character 
can be rotated by multiplying the coor¬ 
dinates of its control points by some 
matrix. This is not simply a rotation ma¬ 
trix; it must contain some scaling factors 
to account for the fact that the number 
of pixels in the horizontal direction on 
a screen is usually different from the 
number in the vertical direction. In any 
case, once the control points are trans¬ 
formed, these new points are taken as 
control points, and the appropriate 
curve-fitting procedure is applied to 
them, resulting in the drawing of the 
transformed character. 

Complicated solid characters can 
be defined by giving the curves of their 
outlines and then using fill algorithms 
to flesh them out. While these proce¬ 
dures are wasted on the marginal reso¬ 
lution of the computer screen, they can 
be implemented in the design of type 
fonts and then reproduced on a laser 
printer or phototypesetter. 1 —m Bdl 


Mark Bridger, Ph.D., is an associate professor 
of mathematics at Northeastern University 
and the president of Bridge Software in 
Upper Newton Falls, Massachusetts. 



Everything Isn’t As 
Accommodating As 

_ TM _ TM 

c-tree / r-tree 

FILE HANDLER REPORT GENERATOR 


Performance and Portability 

For all the time you devote to developing 
your new programs, doesn't it make sense to 
insure they perform like lightning and can be 
ported with ease? 

c-tree: Multi-Key ISAM Functions 
For Single User, Network, & Multi 
Tasking Systems 

Based on the most advanced B+ Tree routines 
available today, c-tree gives you un¬ 
matched keyed file accessing performance and 
complete C Source Code. Thousands of profes¬ 
sional C programmers are already enjoying 
c-tree's royalty-free benefits, outstanding 
performance, and unparalleled portability. 

Only FairOom provides single and multi-user 
capabilities in one source code package, 
including locking routines for Unix, Xenix, and 
DOS 3.1., for one low price! In addition, 
c-tree supports fixed and variable record 
length data files; fixed and variable length key 
values with key compression; multiple indices 
in a single index file; and automatic sharing of 
file descriptors. 

r-tree: Multi-File Report Generator 
r-tree builds on the power of c-tree 
to provide sophisticated, multi-line reports. 
Information spanning multiple files may be 
used for display purposes or to direct record 
selection. You can develop new reports or 
change existing reports without programming 
or recompiling and can use any text editor to 


create or modify r-tree report scripts 
including the complete report layout. At your 
option, end users may even modify the report 
scripts you provide. 

Unlimited Virtual Fields; Automatic File 
Traversal 

r-tree report scripts can define any number 
ofvirtualfieldsbased on complex computational 
expressions involving application defined data 
objects and other virtual fields. In addition, 
r-tree automatically computes values 
based on the MAX, MIN, SUM, FRQ, or AVG of 
values spread over multiple records, r-tree 
even lets you nest these computational func¬ 
tions, causing files from different logical levels 
to be automatically traversed. 

Unlike other report generators, r-tree allows 
you to distribute executable code capable of 
producing new reports or changing existing 
reports without royalty payments, provided the 
code is tied to an application. Your complete 
source code also includes the report script 
interpreter and compiler. 

How To Order 

Put FairOom leadership in programmers utilities 
to work for you. Order c-tree today for 
$395 or r-tree for $295. (When ordered 
together, r-tree is only $255). For VISA, 
MasterCard and C.O.D. orders, call 314/445- 
6833. For c-tree benchmark comparisons, 
write FairOom, 2606 Johnson Drive, Columbia, 
MO 65203. 



Complete C Source Code & No Royalties! 


Xenix is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. Unix is a registered trademark of AT&T. 


JUNE 1987 


CIRCLE NO. 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


183 




















PROGRAMMING PRACTICES 





Introducing the 

DIGIBOARD COM/Xi Series front-end processor. 
Intelligent multi-channel communications boards 
400% faster than the industry standard. 

Like our popular COM/X Series, they provide 
users of PC/XT/AT-compatible computers with four 
or eight individually addressable serial ports. But 
with the new COM/Xi series we’ve added: 

• an 80188 co-processor operating at 10 MHz 

• 256K of dual-ported RAM + 16KofROM, all 
accessible to user/ programmers for application 
and security software development 

• a modular design that allows us to custom- 
tailor I/O to individual customer requirements. 
On-board intelligence means more speed for 

multi-user operating systems and multi-channel 
data collection and dissemination. 

And makes the new DIGIBOARD COM/Xi 
Series a more intelligent choice for you. 


Plugging you into Tomorrow. 


Call 1-800-344-4273. In Minnesota, (612) 922-8055 



LISTING 1: DRAWCHAR.PAS 


program TestWrite; 


Crows of screen: 0 


ScreenHeight = 199; 


Nodepointer = A Node; 
Node = record 

across : integer; 


yStretch 

mode 


integer; 


CharString = string[40] 


array[33..126] of CharString; 


Font 


{Array of strings describing fonts} 


FontArray : Font, 


procedure LoadFonts; 
const 

FontsFilename = ‘FONTS 


Fonts: file of Font; 
begin 


(**** These are the correct LoadFonts statements 
assignCFonts, FontsFilename); 
read(Fonts,FontArray); 


close(Fonts) 


{The following is Just the letter "A" for demonstration driver.} 


FontArray[65] := #10 + #64 + #64 + #138 + #37 + #101; 
end; {LoadFonts} 

procedure DrawString(Z: Nodepointer; row: integer; mode: byte) 


var I, P, Q: integer; 

Coordinates: CharString; 
x,y: integer; 


Coordinates:= FontArray[ascii] 


while I < length(Coordinates) do begin 


P:= ord(Coordinates[I]); Q:= ord(Coordinates[1+1]); 
draw(round((P div 16)* xscale + x),round((P mod 16)*yscale+y) 
round((Q div 16)* xscale + x),round((Q mod 16)*yscale+y) 


mode); 

I:= I + 2 
end; {while} 


end; {with} 
end; {Drawstring} 


procedure MakeNode(var P: Nodepointer; x:integer; asc :byte; 


begin 

new(P) 


ascii 

xScale, 
yScale : 

: byte; {character code} 

real; {scaling factors} 

next 

: Nodepointer; {forward link} 

end; 


Var 

Lines, LastEntry: array[0..screenheight] of Nodepointer; 

Temp 

{point to first and last entry in row} 

: Nodepointer; 

xStretch, 



184 


CIRCLE NO. 110 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




DATA MANAGER SERIES 



EYuixnoN cnrrF.Ru 
SEV1N BUEVS FROM TIK »3UES 


SAVE UP 10 s 53.35WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE 


GET YOUR 
FREE COPY 
OF PC TECH 
JOURNAL'S 
DATA 

MANAGER 

REVIEW 


I f you're a systems integrator, designer, consultant, or 
DP/MIS pro involved in technologically advanced appli¬ 
cations, you need PC Tech Journal. You'll receive 13 
issues a year—including The PC Tech Journal Directory 
Issue, a complete, indexed reference to the products, 
applications and innovations covered in PC Tech Journal! 
Special Offer —Act today and you’ll also receive the 
PC Tech Journal Data Manager Review, a comprehen¬ 
sive report covering 7 leading data managers—with 
benchmark tests! 

Your PC Tech Journal Data Manager Review will be shipped upon payment. 


Please begin my subscription to 
PC Tech Journal for: 

□ One year (13 issues)for 26.70—I’ll save over $26! 

□ Two years (26 issues) for $53.35—I’ll save over $53! 

SAVINGS BASED ON ANNUAL SINGLE-COPY PRICE OF $53.35 


Mr./Mrs./Ms_ 

Please Print Full Name 

Com pa ny_ 

Address_ 


4S796 


City. 


.State. 


-Zip- 


ADD S 8 per year for postage outside USA. US currency only. Please allow up to 60 days for delivery of first issue. Basic annual 
subscription price is $34.97. 

□ Bi 11 me later □ Payment enclosed 

Please complete the following questions: 

1.1s above address: 

A. □ Business B. □ Home C. □ If home and business are the same. 

(If home address, please provide your business information.) 

Company Name 

11111111111111111111111111111 

Company Street Address 


11 


I I I 


U 


Company City 


State 

JLLL 


Zip Code 


Telephone 

I I I l-l I I l-l I l-L 


2. How would you describe your company or organization. 

(Check one only): 

A. □ Value-Added Reseller, Value-Added Dealer or Systems House 

B. □ Computer Consultant 

C. D Computer Retailer 

D. □ Distributor of Computer Products 

E. □ Manufacturer/Publisher of Computer Hardware or Software 

F. □ End-User Company or Organization that does not manufacture, dis¬ 
tribute or resell computer products. 

G. D Other_. 

please specify 

3. What is your primary job function as it relates to computer activities 
within your own organization? (Check one only): 

A. □ Systems Design/Integration/ G. □ Hardware Engineering 

Analysis H. □ Programming 

B. □ Data Communications I. □ Research and Development 

C. D DP/MIS Management/Operations J. □ General Management/ 

D. D Inside Consulting Administration 

E. □ Outside Consulting K. □ None of the Above 

F. □ Software Engineering 

4. Which of the following systems activities takes place in your 
department. (Check all that apply): 

A. □ Application Development D. □ Networking of PC to PC or 

B. □ Programming PC to Mini/Mainframe 

C. D Systems Integration/Development E. □ None of the Above 

5. Check the products that you personally evaluate, recommend or 
select. (Check all that apply): 

A. □ IBM or Compatible C.D Software 

Microcomputers D. □ Communications Products 

B. □ Peripherals E. □ None of the Above 


Date_Signature 


Z026 


Please begin my subscription to 
PC Tech Journal for: 

□ One year (13 issues) for $26.70—I’ll save over $26! 

□ Two years (26 issues) for $53.35—I’ll save over $53! 

SAVINGS BASED ON ANNUAL SINGLE-COPY PRICE OF $53 35 

Mr./Mrs./Ms._ 

Please Print Full Name 4S796 

Com pa ny___ 

Address.... 

City_State_Zip_ 

ADD $8 per year for postage outside USA. US currency only Please allow up to 60 days for delivery of first issue. Basic annual 
subscription price is S34 97 

□ Bill me later □ Payment enclosed 

Please complete the following questions: 

1. Is above address: 

A. □ Business B. □ Home C. □ If home and business are the same. 

(If home address, please provide your business information.) 


Company Name 



Company Street Address 



Company City State Zip Code 

11111111111111111111111111111 


Telephone 



2. How would you describe your company or organization. 

(Check one only): 

A. □ Value-Added Reseller, Value-Added Dealer or Systems House 

B. □ Computer Consultant 

C. D Computer Retailer 

D. □ Distributor of Computer Products 

E. □ Manufacturer/Publisher of Computer Hardware or Software 

F. □ End-User Company or Organization that does not manufacture, dis¬ 
tribute or resell computer products. 

G. D Other_. 

please specify 

3. What is your primary job function as it relates to computer activities 
within your own organization? (Check one only): 

A. □ Systems Design/Integration/ G. □ Hardware Engineering 

Analysis H. □ Programming 

B. □ Data Communications I. □ Research and Development 

C. D DP/MIS Management/Operations J. □ General Management/ 

D. D Inside Consulting Administration 

E. D Outside Consulting K. D None of the Above 

F. D Software Engineering 

4. Which of the following systems activities takes place in your 
department. (Check all that apply): 

A. D Application Development D. D Networking of PC to PC or 

B. D Programming PC to Mini/Mainframe 

C. D Systems Integration/Development E. D None of the Above 

5. Check the products that you personally evaluate, recommend or 
select. (Check all that apply): 

A. D IBM or Compatible C.D Software 

Microcomputers D. D Communications Products 

B. D Peripherals E. D None of the Above 


Date_Signature 


Z026 






































NO POSTAGE 
NECESSARY 
IF MAILED 
IN THE 

UNITED STATES 


BUSINESS REPLY MAIL 

FIRST CLASS PERMIT *66 BOULDER, COLORADO 

POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE 



OURNAL. 

J P.O.Box52079 
Boulder, Colorado 80321-2079 


IImIiII.11 1 1 1 1 111 11 1 ( 1 1 111 ■ 11 1 111 11 • 1 11 1 a 1 1 1 1 


BUSINESS RWY MAIL 

FIRST CLASS PERMIT *66 BOULDER, COLORADO 

POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE 



[OURNAL 


.» Box 52079 
Boulder Colorado 80321-2079 


NO POSTAGE 
NECESSARY 
IF MAILED 
IN THE 

UNITED STATES 


Null ll.mill.iililiiill.ilillliii Iml liln lull I 



















































AW. . . 

WHAT THE HECK! 


PRODESIGN II STILL ONLY$299! 



FRONT ELEVRTION 


• On-screen menus accessible with a mouse. 

• Comprehensive drawing commands, including the finest 
curve fitting in the industry. 

• Editing features unsurpassed by ANY other CAD package. 

• Extensive snap features, including snap to point, endpoint, 
midpoint, line, circle, ellipse, arc, intersection, and perpen¬ 
dicular. 

• True Auto Dimensioning with several formats. 

• Extensive Layering features. 

• Full Macro capabilities. 

• Specialized drawing aids, such as tangents to circles and 
ellipses, parallel lines, parallel curves, wide lines, and more. 

• Complete hatching with up to 40 different patterns. 

• Area and length calculation for line curves, circles, etc. 

• Full Zoom, Pan, and Rotate capabilities. 

• Capability to transfer drawings to and from other programs. 

• Capability to Break/Trim Lines, Curves, Circles, Arcs, and 
Ellipses. 

• Many more features — All for only $299! 

Where do you get ProDesign II? See your local computer 
dealer, or contact: 

American Small Business Computers, Inc. 

118 South Mill Street 
Pryor, OK 74361 
(918) 825-4844 
Telex 9102400302 

Want more information? Call or write fora detailed brochure 
and a free demo disk! 


ProDesign II — Still $ 299 ! 

ProDesign II — the Easy-to-Use CAD System. .The CAD 
system that was introduced two years ago for the amazingly 
low price of $299. The CAD system that has undergone four 
major revisions with more than 400 enhancements. The CAD 
system that still costs only $299! 

How do we do it? Our accountants said to raise the price 
to cover research and development costs. Our business 
advisors said to charge more for the additional features. Our 
competitors said it's impossible to stay in business selling a 
comprehensive CAD package such as ProDesign II for only 
$299. 

And our customers said $299 is great. So, we said: 

"Aw... What the Heck! $299 it is!" 

Now, two years after its introduction, ProDesign II is one 
of the world's leading CAD packages. It has features pre¬ 
viously found only on CAD systems costing thousands of 
dollars. For the single price of $299, you get these features 
and more: 

• Support for more than 180 printers (including color 
printers) 

• Support for more than 80 plotters, with plotter optimi¬ 
zation. 

• Easy-to-Use single keystroke commands. 




CIRCLE NO. 244 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


















































































































































































































































































































Get the 
fastest 
PC 

accelerator 
board in 
the world 


PROGRAMMING PRACTICES 


wsmmim 


mBHBBBF*. i u -■ —n * ■; 


mm 




APOLLO DN 660 1,666 $52,000 + 

AEGIS SR9/1X 3.12 __ 

IBM PC/AT 1,250 $5,295 

80286 6-MHz 

MSDOS 3.0 _ 

Dhrystone: A set of benchmark tests used to compare the speed of different computers. The 
D hrystone Benchmark program is available on disk in ADA, PASCAL and C. TiidBM PC/ 
XTwhich uses the 8088 processor, running at 4.77-MHz, achievesa Dhrystone score of 27 \. 

STD also offers the PC-286 at 6, 8, 10 and 12.5-MHz, along with TOP 
BOARD the new EMS memory board. For maximum speed, the PC-286 
communicates with the TOP BOARD on a 16 bit data bus. 

FACTS ARE FACTS 

STD has an inviting Corporate Demo Program. We invite you to exper¬ 
ience speed. To get your hands on the NEW 16-MHz PC-286, CALL: 

(206) 820-1873 

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines. VAX is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment 
Corporation. APOLLO is a registered trademark of Apollo Corporation. 


Listening to Customers is Our Future 

Seattle Telecom & Data, Inc/12277- 134th Court N.E. 
Redmond, Washington 98052-2429 

( 206 ) 820-1873 

CIRCLE NO. 197 ON READER SERVICE CARD 





then begin 
head:= P; 

P''. next place; 

teg in 

whileCplace <> last) 

and (P*.across > place*.across) do 



end; {while} 

if (P A .across = place*.across) {correct pos.> 
and (mode = 0} {deleting} 


and (place*.next <> nil) 
do begin 

followers place; 

§*si 




PC TECH JOURNAL 























OPTIONAL MENUS 


TIME SLICING 


VIRTUAL MEMORY 


EMS SUPPORT 


EGA SUPPORT 


PRIORITY DRIVEN 


CUT AND PASTE 


SERVICE INTERRUPTS 

No assembly required 


RESIDENT PROGRAMS 

Easy, pop-up routines 


EXECUTIVE PROGRAMS 

Run ANY DOS program 


DISK SECTOR I/O 

Lowest level access 


FAST TEXT WINDOWS 

Virtual windowing system 


KEYBOARD MACROS 

Simple, powerful 


LOTS OF EXAMPLES 

21 + full example programs 


MUCH MORE. . . 

Over 140 routines in all 


next; 


if (place*.ascii = P A .ascii) then begin 
follower*.next:= place*.next; 
if last = place then last:= follower, 


DrawStringCplace, row, mode) 

dispose(place); 

dispose(P); 


Compatible, efficient DOS 
multi-tasking. 

We designed Taskview with effi¬ 
ciency in mind. During normal 
operation, TASKVIEW hides 
behind DOS, providing you with 
control of up to 10 concurrent or 
non-concurrent programs. Just 
the touch of a key instantly 
switches a program to the fore¬ 
ground. Included desktop utili¬ 
ties let you cut and paste from 
program to program. Simple to 
use and reasonably priced, no 
well equipped PC user should 
be without it. 

Requires: PC/AT/Jr compatible, 
DOS 2.0-3.1, 256K RAM, 1 
Floppy drive. 

Sunnyhill Software not affiliated with Borland International 

Taskview trademark of Sunnyhill Software 

Sidekick registered trademark of Borland International 


end (if deleting} 
else (inserting} 


begin 

follower*.next:= P, 
P*.next:= place; 


DrawString(P, row, mode), 
end (inserting} 

(not in first position} 


end (interior node} 


end; (Edit} 


procedure WriteOut; 


place : nodepointer; 
row : integer; 


Dealer Inquiries Invited. 


fa plus $3.00 S&H 

Washington residents add 79% 
International orders add $5.00 
VISA and Mastercard accepted. 


0 to screenheight do begin 

Lines[row); (point to head of row} 

<> nil then (something in row} 


Sunny Hill 
Software^Kr 

P.O. Box 55278 
Seattle, WA 98155 
(206)367-0650 M-F, 8-6PDT 


repeat 

DrawString(place, row, 7), 
place:® place*.next; 


To order Toll-Free 

call 1-800-367-0651 


until place = nil 
end; (for} 
end; (WriteOut} 


CIRCLE NO. 158 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


procedure InitializeList; 


integer, 


begin 

For I:= 0 to screenheight do 
begin 


New(lines[I]); 
LinesCI) := nil; 
New(LastEntryCI)), 


LastEntryCI] := nil 


"If you never thought Turbo 
Pascal was a systems program¬ 
ming language, you’ve never 
seen Turbo Professional." 

Darryl Rubin 
Computer Language 

For programs that move with 
technology—Turbo Profession¬ 
al—a truly professional library 
of subroutines. 

150 page reference manual. 
Full source—many example 
programs. 

No royalties charged for 
applications. 

Requires IBM compatible, 

DOS version 2.0 or greater, 
Turbo Pascal 2.0 or greater. 

Sunnyhill Soltv/are not affiliated with Borland International. 
Turbo Professional, trademark of Sunnyhill Software 
Turbo Pascal, registered trademark of Borland International 


LoadFonts; 


repeat 

write('Enter x coordinate: 
writeOEnter y coordinate: 


readln(x), 

readln(y), 


Dealer Inquiries Invited. 


HiRes; 
WriteOut, 
readIn; 


oy plus $5.00 S&H 

Washington residents add 7.9% 
International orders add $5.00 
VISA and Mastercard accepted. 


textmode(C80) 


Sunny Hill 
Software 

P.O. Box 55278 

Seattle, WA 98155 

(206) 367-0650 M-F, 8-6 PDT 


To order Toll-Free 

call 1-800-367-0651 


writeOEnter horizontal stretch: '); 
writeOEnter vertical stretch: '); 
writeOAdd or delete (a/d) ? '); 

readln(xstretch); 

readln(ystretch); 

readln(ch); 

if ch = 'd' then mode:® 0 else mode:® 

7; 

HakeNode(Temp, x, 65, xstretch, ystretch); 

Edit(Linesty), LastEntryCy], Temp, y. 

mode); 

writeODraw again (y/n)?'); 

readln(ch); 

until ch = 'n'; 



JUNE 1987 


CIRCLE NO. 152 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


187 







Avocet puts you in the chips! 



Now you can use your PC to 
develop software for virtually 
any microprocessor. Quickly. 
Easily. Inexpensively. 


THE AVOCET CROSS-ASSEMBLER FAMILY. 

Avocet 

Target 


Cross- 

Micro- 

IBM PC, 

assembler 

processor 

MSDOS* 

AVMAC04 

6804 

$349.00 

AVMAC05 

6805 

349.00 

AVMAC09 

6809 

349.00 

AVMAC18 

1802/1805 

349.00 

AVMAC48 

8048/8041 

349.00 

AVMAC51 

8051 

349.00 

AVMAC65 

6502/65C02 

349.00 

AVMAC68 

6800/01,6301 

349.00 

AVMAC85 

8085 

349.00 

AVMAC96 

8096 

349.00 

AVMAC11 

68HC11 

349.00 

AVMACZ8 

Z8 

349.00 

AVMACZ80 

Z80 

349.00 

AVMAC180 

HD64180 

349.00 

AVMAC321 

32010 

349.00 

AVMAC322 

32020 

349.00 

AVMAC68K20 

68020 

750.00 

AVMAC68K 

68000/68010 

595.00 

' Trademark of Microsoft 



Avocet cross-assemblers, simu¬ 
lators, emulators and EPROM 
programmers will help put your 
design ideas into more chips 
than any other software develop¬ 
ment system on the market. You 
don’t need a mainframe, or even 
a dedicated system. All you 
need is a PC, a good idea...and 
Avocet. It's as simple as that. 

Avocet has been creating 
tools for software development 
since 1979 to help design engi¬ 
neers find easier and more pro¬ 
ductive ways to develop 
software for virtually any micro¬ 
processor — without switching 
development systems. 


Our customers turn ideas into 
real products. From data entry 
through assembly, debugging 
and final EPROMs, Avocet has 
everything you need to transform 
your personal computer into a fully 
integrated development system. 

Cross-assembler capabilities. 

No matter what the application, 
our family of cross-assemblers 
runs on any computer with 
PC/DOS or MS/DOS and pro¬ 
cesses assembly language for 
most microprocessors. 

Taking the bugs out. 

'' Avocet’s new 
debugging tools will 
eliminate “crash and 
burn” from your 
vocabulary in 
two ways. 

First, AVSIM software simula¬ 
tor/debuggers allow you to test 
program modules on your PC. 

No special hardware is required 
for executing your target code 
interpretively in a crash-proof, in¬ 
teractive environment. AVSIM’s 
full screen display lets you see 
at a glance what your program is 
doing. 

Progressive EPROM 
programming. 

Avocet AVPROM programmers 
work with over 37 different 
devices including EPROMs 
through 27512, CMOS and E 2 
PROMs, and MPU/EPROM com¬ 
bos using fast “adaptive” algo¬ 


rithms. These intelligent, 
self-contained units work with 
any personal computer using 
Avocet’s GDX driver software. 

Coding In Comfort 

And when you’re ready to write 
your code, Avocet has a full host 
of programming utilities and edi¬ 
tors, including AVKIT™ Utility Tool¬ 
kit, which offers the famous vi 
editor and dozens of other UNIX™ 
style facilities for your PC. 

Made to order. 

You don’t have to come to Maine 
to get Avocet products (unless, 
of course, you want a really 
great lobster dinner). 

Just call, toll-free, 

1 - 800 - 448-8500 

(in the U.S. except Alaska 
and Hawaii) 

and well rush out your order, 
send out more information, or, if 
you want, talk about some of 
your great ideas. 

Avocet Systems Inc., 

P.O. Box 490, Rockport, Maine 
04856. (207) 236-9055. Telex: 
467210 AVOCET Cl 
FAX 207-236-6713 


AVOCET 

SYSTEMS, INC® 

Software Development Tools for Industry 



CIRCLE NO. 221 ON READER SERVICE CARD 













PRODUCT WATCH 

Reviews 

and 

Updates 



PCANYWHERE 

Dynamic Microprocessor 
Associates 



COMMAND PLUS 1.1 

ESP Software Systems 


ZVIEW 

Data Management 
Consultants 


PCANYWHERE 

Dynamic Microprocessor Associates 
Worldwide distributor: EKD Com¬ 
puter Corporation 
764 Middle Country Road 
Selden, NY 11784 
516/736-0500 

PRICE: $99 4 . . 



CIRCLE 366 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


T he idea behind remote computing is 
fairly straightforward: hook two PCs 
together using a standard voice-grade 
telephone link and a pair of modems, 
then use one of the machines to run 
programs on the other one. It may be 
simple in theory, but it is very difficult 
in practice because software developers 
have used every trick in the book in or¬ 
der to make their programs run fast 
and look sharp. One of the results of 
this chicanery has been that remote 
computing is difficult to implement. 

A remote-access package, pcANY- 
where (written by Dynamic Micropro¬ 
cessor Associates, but distributed by 
EKD Computer Corporation), has 
proven to be remarkably successful in 
using a telephone hook-up to harness 
the power of programs run on a distant 
PC. (See “Controlling from Afar,” Augie 
Hansen, April 1986, p. 84 for a compari¬ 
son of three other remote-access pack¬ 
ages.) Uses for such technology are 


many: customer-support specialists can 
install pcanywhere on users’ machines 
and easily diagnose problems from the 
home office; office workers can use 
their office PCs without leaving home; 
business travelers can update spread¬ 
sheets, documents, or databases from 
their hotel rooms using a portable com¬ 
puter and the hotel phone. 

Using pcanywhere is fairly simple. 
The anywhere program is run on the 
host machine, which must be connected 
to a telephone line via a standard 
RS-232 serial port and a modem. The 
operator of the remote machine then 
dials the host machine, using aterm, the 
supplied communications software for 
PCs. After a brief log-on dialogue, which 
can—and should—include password au¬ 
thentication, the host PC returns to the 
normal DOS prompt. At this point, the 
remote machine is serving solely as a 
keyboard and display for the host PC. 
Every keystroke from the remote ma¬ 
chine is passed to the host for process¬ 
ing (just as though it had been typed on 
the host’s keyboard), and the remote 
screen mirrors everything that happens 
on the host machine’s screen. 

During testing, configuring the sys¬ 
tem was uncomplicated. The two test 
machines, an IBM PC/XT and a Compaq 
Plus portable, hooked together without 
difficulty. Most standard software ran 
from the remote location: WordPerfect 
4.2; Paperback Software International’s 
VP-Planner; Lotus 1-2-3; AshtonTate’s 
dBASE hi; Symantec’s Q&A; Microsoft 
Macro Assembler; Borland’s Turbo Pas¬ 
cal and Turbo BASIC; and many system 
utilities (including most DOS com¬ 
mands and programs). 

Scattered problems occurred with 
a few memory-resident programs, al¬ 
though most worked remotely, includ¬ 
ing Borland’s SideKick and Turbo Light¬ 
ning. A screen blanker installed in the 
host machine worked as expected—it 
blanked both screens—except that the 
screen could not be retrieved by press¬ 


ing the remote’s shift keys; it did not 
come back until the host altered the 
screen. The resident speller, Whoops! 
from Cornucopia, did not work from 
the remote location. Another program 
that had problems was a public domain 
keyboard utility (KBFIX2, which pro¬ 
vides an enlarged keyboard buffer, an 
increased keyboard repeat rate, and 
similar enhancements). When it was 
loaded on either machine, the remote 
keyboard could not access the commu¬ 
nications program, aterm. With Quarter¬ 
deck’s DESQview multitasker, the re¬ 
mote’s Alt key did not bring up the 
DESQview menu, rendering the pro¬ 
gram unusable. If users have resident 
software that they must use, they should 
check with the vendor for compatibility 
before buying pcanywhere. 

Considering that all screen and 
keyboard data must pass through the 
telephone link, speed is a special con¬ 
cern in remote computing. During test¬ 
ing, the execution speed was quite ade¬ 
quate at 1,200 baud, although it quickly 
became irritating at lower speeds. To 
compensate for this disadvantage, pcany¬ 
where is reasonably smart about what 
screen data are passed through the tele¬ 
phone link; for example, after a spread¬ 
sheet calculation, only the changed cells 
are retransmitted. This is true for all 
programs regardless of how they access 
the screen; only the changed screen in¬ 
formation is sent to the remote. 

The pcanywhere package includes 
the anywhere program itself and aterm, 
a communications package for the re¬ 
mote PC and various utilities, aterm is 
not a general-purpose communications 
package, but is specifically designed to 
interface smoothly with anywhere. It of¬ 
fers a conversational mode that permits 
a dialogue between an operator at the 
host and an operator at the remote; es¬ 
cape to the local operating system, 
which allows the user to interrupt a ses¬ 
sion to run programs on the remote PC; 
and various options to control printing 


JUNE 1987 


189 


PRODUCT WATCH 


generated by host programs (print at 
host, print at remote, print to spool 
tile), aterm is fairly easy to use and 
seems to be quite capable. 

The utility programs include asend, 
which performs hie transfers between 
the host and the remote using the 
XMODEM protocol; alogoff, which ter¬ 
minates a pcanywhere session; and 
acancel, which not only terminates a 
session, but also disables pcanywhere 
on the host machine, preventing further 
call-ins until the program is restarted 
manually on the host machine. 

In addition, pcanywhere itself can 
be configured in various ways. It can be 
set up to require passwords at log-on 
or to execute a specific DOS command 
(which can be a batch hie) when a 
password is received. It also can be run 
in resident mode; when resident, the 
host computer can be operated nor¬ 
mally while waiting for a call. When a 
call is noted, pcanywhere takes over the 
machine and the session proceeds as 
usual, except that the caller may be in a 
program rather than at the DOS prompt 
after log-on. The company states that 
this is a strong selling feature frequently 
requested by consultants. 

The pcanywhere system operates 
best when using two PCs with Hayes- 
compatible modems, and with aterm 
rufining on the remote machine. How¬ 
ever, facilities are provided for the use 
of non-Hayes modems, and the remote 
can use almost any terminal emulation 
software. The two machines also can be 
linked directly via a null modem set-up, 
eliminating the need for modems; trans¬ 
fer rates of up to 19,200 bits per second 
(bps) are available, but problems were 
encountered at speeds above 9,600 bps. 
Although the two test computers were 
side by side, intermittent data losses oc- 
cured at the faster rate. 

When using non-PC remotes or PCs 
using software other than aterm, some 
reconfiguration is necessary. The termi¬ 
nal protocol must be specified (VT52, 
VT100, and dozens of others are sup¬ 
ported), and a keyboard reconfiguration 
program may be needed. In normal use 
of dumb terminals or software other 
than aterm, Esc-key combinations are 
substituted for the PC’s special keys; for 
example, pcanywhere translates Esc-U 
into the up-arrow keystroke. 

A robust package, pcanywhere al¬ 
lows remote access to PCs via a tele¬ 
phone/modem link. It is a fairly easy 
system to set up and use, and it allows 
the use of almost all PC software from a 
distant computer or terminal. 

—CHRIS DUNFORD 



ZVIEW 

Data Management Consultants 
5325 Valle)’ View Bird, Suite 7 
Las Vegas; NV 89118 
7021798-5910 

PRICE: $245 


CIRCLE 364 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


^combination of screen generator, 
jl\ application generator, and screen- 
management utility, zview caters exclu¬ 
sively to the C-language programming 
environment. After the screens are de¬ 
signed with zview, they can be modified 
in a separate utility. Each include file 
contains the data structure information 
for an individual screen. The applica¬ 
tions developer then can use this in¬ 
clude file and zview’s runtime library to 
collect the data entered. 

The screen generator, called zpaint, 
is rather limited compared with other 
programs of this type on the market. 

The documentation for zpaint is buried 
in chapters 3 and 4 of the manual. The 
user can draw a box, display text with 
specific background and foreground 
colors, move and copy blocks, and de¬ 
termine the location of data entry fields. 
The only attributes for the data-entry 
field entered during the screen-genera¬ 
tion process is the protection value: 
protected, unprotected, or header. A 
separate program specifies other attri¬ 
butes for data-entry fields, which can be 
quite bothersome if the screen and 
fields must be changed frequently. 

A separate field-descriptor pro¬ 
gram, called zfield, allows the user to 
specify a variety of attributes on a field- 
by-field basis. The documentation for 
this program is not in one place, but 
split between chapters 3 and 5. Attri¬ 
butes include field type, range check¬ 
ing, field-to-field comparison, required 
or optional fields, field-specific help, se¬ 
curity level, and a user-specified, field- 
exit procedure. The user can specify a 
separate list of dynamic characteristics 


at runtime by setting values to global 
variables, such as help-key values, cur¬ 
sor attributes, user security level, error 
beeping, and checking on input. Unfor¬ 
tunately, the documentation introduces 
these attributes in a manner that is not 
only haphazard, but also very confusing. 

The screen generator and the field- 
descriptor program both require sup¬ 
port routines in a directory called 
\zscreens, which must be a subdirec¬ 
tory in the root directory. (This require¬ 
ment is described in the installation 
section of the manual.) If they are not, a 
“DOS ERROR IS 2” message appears, 
but no further explanation is available 
in the manual. In a blatant example of 
poor design, zview’s procedure for en¬ 
tering field specifications can result in 
loss of data if the user merely tries to 
end a field by using Enter instead of the 
down arrow. Pressing the Enter key 
clears the screen back to the default val¬ 
ues and returns to the first field. 

The source code generated by 
zview is a C include file that contains a 
structure tag and a definition. The struc¬ 
ture contains a member for each data 
field for a screen, according to the type 
specified for each field. The definitions 
are inserted into the include file by 
zview, causing the structure to be allo¬ 
cated memory under the variable name. 
Thus, die include file cannot be used in 
more than one source module without 
changes to the provided source. 

The screen image is saved in a file 
to be read during runtime. The pro¬ 
gram could be improved by generating 
an object file or C source code that can 
be compiled and linked. 

zview supplies a library to display, 
read, and write the screens and data. 
Calling the display function from a C 
program results in the screen file being 
read from the disk and displayed. A sec¬ 
ond read function actually collects data 
from the screen and returns when the 
screen is exited. A separate function 
then is called to read the data from the 
screen into the data structure. A write 
function writes the data from the struc¬ 
ture onto the screen. 

A separate library is supplied de¬ 
pending on which compiler is being 
used. The source code to this library 
should be provided with zview, but it is 
not. Although a list of the supported 
compilers is not available, reading the 
conditional compiles in one of their in¬ 
clude files seems to indicate that zview 
supports the Microsoft, Lattice, Data- 
Light, and Aztec compilers. Some addi¬ 
tional utilities are provided, but the 
documentation introduces them with 


190 


PC TECH JOURNAL 


the warning, “Enter at your own risk.” 
These can be used to create sound on 
the PC’s speaker, halt the system for a 
given number of system ticks, or set the 
cursor to a screen position or size. 

Technically, zview is excellent, al¬ 
lowing the user to build very complex 
data-entry screens. Mastering the pro¬ 
gram is largely a matter of trial and er¬ 
ror—very little works the first time. The 
documentation is unacceptable. Pages 
are out of order, the information is pre¬ 
sented haphazardly, appendixes are lo¬ 
cated in the front, and there is no index 
or list of error messages returned by 
the screen generator. The large number 
of typographical errors indicate that no 
proofreading or even spell checking 
was done; even the product name was 
misspelled in one place. Despite zview’s 
potential, the presentation is totally in¬ 
adequate, and the user interface needs 
drastic improvement. 

—STEVE JOHNSON 


COMMAND PLUS 1.1 

ESP Software Systems, Inc. 
11965 Venice Blvd., Suite 309 
Los Angeles, California 90066 
800/992-4377; 213/390-7408 

PRICE: $79.95 



CIRCLE 365 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


C ommand Plus from ESP Software 
Systems is a DOS command proces¬ 
sor that takes over the main functions 
of COMMAND.COM: the interpretation 
of keyboard commands, the execution 
of batch command files, and the loading 
and execution of external programs. To 
these functions, Command Plus brings 
some of the nicer features found on 
larger operating systems. 

COMPLUS, the primary file, can be 
installed either as a secondary com¬ 
mand processor or, in DOS versions 3.0 
and later, as the primary one in place of 
COMMAND.COM. To set up Command 


Plus as a secondary processor, the user 
places COMPLUS.EXE in a directory that 
is specified by the PATH command, and 
enters complus [options] at the DOS 
prompt. This causes COMPLUS to take 
control of command entry. Typing exit 
returns control to COMMAND.COM. 
COMPLUS is installed as the start-up 
command processor by the following 
statement in the CONFIG.SYS file: 

shell = [d:][path]complus[.exe] [options] 

In this mode, the user cannot return 
control to COMMAND.COM without first 
modifying the CONFIG.SYS file and 
then rebooting the system. 

As a COMMAND.COM replacement, 
COMPLUS handles the internal DOS 
commands in the same way and pro¬ 
vides similar or enhanced services for 
command-line editing, file-name pattern 
matching, I/O redirection and piping, 
the execution of batch files of com¬ 
mand scripts, and automatic execution 
of an AUTOEXEC file on system start¬ 
up . COMPLUS offers several additional 
features that have no counterparts in 
COMMAND.COM: an enhanced com¬ 
mand language for writing batch com¬ 
mand scripts, command-history recall, 
command abbreviation or alias facility, 
directory stack, command log file, and 


additional internal commands to display 
memory and disk space, display the 
contents of files, move files between di¬ 
rectories and search for files through 
the tree structure. One significant ex¬ 
tension of this program is that all 
COMPLUS commands return a comple¬ 
tion code so that other programs or 
script files can determine the termina¬ 
tion status of the command. 

The most impressive feature of 
Command Plus is the interpretive com¬ 
mand file processor, script. It imple¬ 
ments a miniature programming lan¬ 
guage that provides enhances features, 
such as the ability to define as many as 
15 program variables, branching and 
looping, expression evaluation and as¬ 
signment, arithmetic, comparison and 
Boolean operations, sending text to 
standard input data, and comment state¬ 
ments. In addition, script provides built- 
in library routines for string manipula¬ 
tion, console I/O, file operations, and 
access to strings from the DOS environ¬ 
ment. To make this a complete and use¬ 
ful tool, script also has a debug mode 
that lets the user see the commands 
that will run without actually executing 
them. As an example of script’s capabili¬ 
ties, the following script file allows the 
user to choose which .c files in the cur- 


Personal REXX 

for the IBM PC 

★ Interpreter for the full REXX language, including all of the standard REXX 
instructions, operators, and built-in functions 

★ Sophisticated string manipulation capabilities 

★ Unlimited precision arithmetic 

★ Direct execution of DOS commands from REXX programs 

★ Built-in functions for DOS file I/O, directory access, screen and keyboard 
communication, and many other PC services 

★ Compatible with VM/CMS version of REXX 

★ Uses include: 

— Command programming language for DOS 

— Macro language for the KEDIT text editor 

— Can be interfaced by application developers with other DOS 
applications, written in almost any language 

Mansfield Software Group, Inc. $125 plus $3 shipping 

P. O. Box 532 MC, VISA, AMEX, COD, PO, CHECK 

Storrs, CT 06268 

(203) 429-8402 

CIRCLE NO. 263 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


JUNE 1987 


191 






PRODUCT WATCH 


rent directory to view with the BROWSE 
command of COMPLUS: 

FOR %a in (*.c) 

BEGIN 

WRITE ” view %a ? ” 

READ %b 

if (%b = ”q”) OR (%b = ”Q”) 

BREAK 

if (%b <> ”y’’) AND (%b <> T) 
CONTINUE 
browse %a 
END 

Command scripts that are written 
in the script language are assigned die 
extension .S, not .BAT. Therefore, if 
COMMAND.COM is restored as the 
command interpreter, it can use its ori¬ 
ginal .BAT files without alteration. 
COMPLUS can execute both .S and .BAT 
files, but a copy of COMMAND.COM 
must be loaded in order to run the lat¬ 
ter. If several executable files with the 
same name exist, the order of prece¬ 
dence is .COM, .EXE, .S, .BAT. When 
COMPLUS is loaded into the system as 
the primary command processor, it exe¬ 
cutes the start-up file AUTOEXEC.S. 

Because most of an operator’s time 
is spent at the command-entry level, 
COMPLUS provides a number of fea¬ 
tures to enhance the keyboard interface. 


Extensive facilities are available for edit¬ 
ing the command line: positioning the 
cursor, deleting various parts of the 
command line, inserting characters, re¬ 
calling previous commands, undoing 
changes to the command line, and 
searching for characters. Multiple com¬ 
mands can be issued on one line; the 
command separator can be specified by 
an entry in the environment. Any of the 
last 48 commands can be recalled from 
a command-history buffer. Aliasing pro¬ 
vides a macro capability by allowing the 
assignment of names to character 
strings that can be commands. As an ex¬ 
ample, the name up could be assigned 
to the string cd .. to simplify going up 
one level in directory structure. 

COMPLUS goes significantly be¬ 
yond DOS in its ability to match file 
name patterns, making command entry 
for operations that involve multiple files 
much easier. To the * and ? wild-card 
characters of DOS, COMPLUS has added 
a subset of UNIX-like regular expres¬ 
sions that match a range of characters. 
For example, copy c:[a-zT]*.* copies 
from the C: drive all files that start with 
any letter except the letter t. 

Several other features are signifi¬ 
cant extensions to the capabilities of 
COMMAND.COM. The first is the full- 


Brand New From Peter Norton 
A PROGRAMMER’S EDITOR 




The Norton Editor"* is a trademark of Peter Norton Computing. Inc. c 1986 Peter Norton Computing. 


that’s lightning fast with the hot 
features programmers need 


Direct from the 
man who gave you 
The Norton Utilities, 
Inside the IBM PC, 
and the Peter Norton 
Programmer’s Guide. 


^NORTON 

EDITOR 


U This is the program¬ 
mer’s editor that I wished 
I’d had when I wrote my 
Norton Utilities. You can 
program your way to 
glory with The Norton 
Editor.” 




Easily customized, and saved 
Split-screen editing 

A wonderful condensed/outline display 
Great for assembler, Pascal and C 


Peter Norton Computing, Inc., 2210 Wilshire Boulevard, 
Santa Monica, CA 90403,213-453-2361. Visa, 
Mastercard and phone orders welcome. 


screen file viewer, BROWSE, which pro¬ 
vides paging, scrolling, easy cursor posi¬ 
tioning, and a regular expression 
searching capability within the file. An¬ 
other is the LOG facility, which allows 
the user to maintain a date/time- 
stamped log file of executed com¬ 
mands. With logging enabled, all com¬ 
mands are automatically placed in the 
log file as they are executed. When log¬ 
ging is disabled, entries to the log file 
can be made with the LOG command 
followed by a parameter string. This 
string gets placed in the log file. 

In addition to providing features 
unavailable in COMMAND.COM, 
COMPLUS also enhances some familiar 
DOS commands, such as DIR, COPY, 
and DEL. DIR allows the user to display 
the files in a short or long format, show 
system and hidden files, display file at¬ 
tributes, and sort directory listings. 

COPY and DEL can copy or delete mul¬ 
tiple files identified by a list of names 
on the command line, by a range of 
date/time stamps, or by the aforemen¬ 
tioned regular expressions. These com¬ 
mands have options to copy or delete 
files from subdirectories and to display 
only the files that can be copied or de¬ 
leted, without actually performing the 
operation. COPY also can copy to multi¬ 
ple disks, prompting for a new disk 
when the target disk is filled. 

ESP documentation for Command 
Plus is well organized, concise in its de¬ 
scriptions, full of examples, and comes 
with a convenient quick-reference card. 
According to ESP, updates are free for 
six months and then a nominal fee is 
charged for future updates. ESP pro¬ 
vides a toll-free number to call for tech¬ 
nical support between the hours of 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m. (Pacific time). 

All of the extra features of Com¬ 
mand Plus come at a price: memory 
usage. COMPLUS occupies 50KB more 
memory than does COMMAND.COM. 

The only other complaint that can be 
lodged against Command Plus is that a 
copy of COMMAND.COM must be 
loaded in order to run the batch file. 

Not only does this procedure cause a 
slight delay while the original command 
processor is found and then loaded 
(COMPLUS searches the directories 
named in the system PATH to find it), 
but it also uses up additional memory. 

For users who spend a lot of their 
computing time at the DOS level (out¬ 
side the realm of applications software) 
and who believe that their time is 
money, Command Plus is a wise invest¬ 
ment that easily pays for itself. C mmmm m 

—JOSEPH KRALOWETZ 


192 


CIRCLE NO. 183 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 


THE BEST PRICE 

PERFORMANCE 
CADD PROGRAM 
ON THE MARKET 
TODAY JUST 
GOT BETTER! 



Introducing Generic CADD 3.0 1 

Faster than a speeding 
pencil! 

PC WEEK says Generic 
CADD: “strongly rivals some 
of the best mid-range CAD 
packages that cost thousands 
of dollars.” 

And now it’s even better! 
Generic CADD 3.0™ still only 
$99.95, is faster, cleaner and 
prettier. Generic CADD 3.0 is 
now up to 20% faster on 
redraws, has user definable 
line widths, named views, 
the ability to“unerase” era¬ 
sures and dozens of additional 
features! 


Combined with our newest 
series of productivity modules, 
Generic CADD 3.0 gives 
engineers, designers and 
drafters real CAD power on 
their personal computer. But 
that’s not all... 

Introducing Generic IGES™ 
Generic IGES™ ($249.95) 
allows you to exchange draw¬ 
ings with mini and mainframe 
CAD software like Applicon, 
Autotrol, Cadam, Catia, Inter¬ 
graph, Computer Vision, 
Cyber, Equinox 2000, and 
more. Use your PC with 
Generic CADD 3.0™ and 
Generic IGES™, to access 


graphic libraries and 
capabilities previously the 
domain of mainframe and mini¬ 
computer users. 

New! Hydraulic Symbols 
Library—Just $49.95. 

Once again Generic CADD 
has proven we are the 
undisputed price/performance 
leader in the industry. 

Generic CADD 3.0™ Not 
copy protected. 60-day money 
back guarantee. B 

Call 800-228-3601 or 206-885-5307 for dealer 
nearest you. For updates of Generic CADD 2.0 
or LogiCAD 2.0, call: 800-345-9194. 

Generic 

SOFTWARE 


CIRCLE NO. 112 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



We’ve taken the work 
out of doing Windows. 


Microsoft® Windows is becoming the most 
popular operating environment for PC systems. 

Its not surprising. Windows provides the 
foundation for an exciting new generation of 
applications that users are demanding. In addi¬ 
tion, Windows handles many of the details 
involved in a software project allowing you to 
spend more time enhancing your application. 
That’s why a growing number of corporate arid 
independent software developers are building 
Windows applications. 

The Microsoft Windows Software Develop¬ 
ment Kit is your key to this extraordinary new 
environment. It’s packed with full reference 
documentation, libraries, utilities and sample 
programs. Together with our C Compiler or 
Macro Assembler, it’s a comprehensive package 
that lets you make the most of your application. 

Software with a new view. 

Giving your applications the Windows 
treatment begins with a new look. The rich 
graphical environment allows you to rethink how 
you want your program to be presented on screen. 
It lets you mix text and graphics. You can incor¬ 
porate multiple fonts in a variety of sizes, faces and 
styles. And it provides the basic building blocks 
that make it easy to create drop-down menus, 
dialog boxes, scroll bars, icons and more. 

These features not only simplify your applica¬ 
tion design, but also provide the familiar interface 
that makes your software easier to learn and use. 

Easing the data shuffle. 

Of course, there’s more to Windows than 
just looks. Now, different applications can work 
together. In concert. 

The Windows Clipboard provides support 
for users to cut and paste information between 
your applications and others. Or you can use 
messages to establish “hot links” to transfer 
data automatically. 


Upgrading made easy. 

Windows’device independent design allows 
you to build your application today and take 
advantage of new technology as it becomes avail¬ 
able. When new graphics cards, printers and 
pointing devices appear they can be used with 
your software, without modifying your code. 
Simply by installing the new driver. 

Your window of opportunity. 

The Microsoft Windows Software Develop¬ 
ment Kit is your fastest route to better applica¬ 
tions. And with it, we also offer DIAL, our on-line 
technical support service to help you with the 
tough questions, and development courses that 
cover everything from using the dialog editor 
to memory management. 

Find out how you can get your Microsoft 
Windows Software Development Kit. Pick up the 
phone and call (800) 426-9400. In Washington 
State and Alaska, call (206) 882-8088. In Canada, 
call (416) 673-7638. And well open the door 
to Windows. 


The Microsoft Windows 
Software Development Kit includes: 
♦Dialog editor. 

♦Icon editor. 

♦Font editor. 

♦Resource compiler. 

♦Linker. 

♦MAKE (program maintenance utility). 

♦ Symbolic debugger. 

♦Heap analysis utility. 

♦ Sample programs. 

♦Windows libraries. 

♦ Programmers reference. 
♦Programmers utility guide. 

System requirements: 

♦ 512K memory, DOS 2.0 or higher. 
♦Two double sided disk drives* 

♦ Graphics adapter card. 

*hard disk recommended 


MicrosoffWindows Software Development Kit 

The High Performance Software. 

Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. 




BOOK REVIEWS 


Lingua FORTRAN 

FORTRAN, the lingua franca of scientists and 
engineers, is the subject of four textbooks. 



Structured FORTRAN 77 for Engl- 
neers and Scientists 

D. M. Etter (The Benjamin/Cummings 
Publishing Company, Inc., 1983) 357 
pages; paper, $25.95 

Computing for Engineers and 
Scientists with FORTRAN 77 

Daniel D. McCracken (John Wiley & 
Sons, 1984) 361 pages;paper, $30.75 

FORTRAN for Technologists 
and Engineers 

James Valentino (Holt, Rinehart and 
Winston, 1986) 594pages; paper, $29.00 

Programming for the IBM Per¬ 
sonal Computer: FORTRAN 77 

Robert A. Rouse and Thomas L. Bugnitz 
(Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983) 240 
pages, paper, $42.75 

The four books on FORTRAN 77 re¬ 
viewed here span the spectrum from in¬ 
spired to mediocre. The first two cover 
the subject in different but equally com¬ 
petent ways; these books also offer ped- 
agogically superior material. The third 
is an adequate text with many excellent 


examples. The fourth is simply not in 
the same league as the others, having 
been keyed to a FORTRAN compiler 
that is now obsolete. (For a comparison 
of seven FORTRAN 77 compilers, see 
“FORTRAN Perspectives,” John Vogle- 
wede, this issue, p. 92.) 

D. M. Etter, the author of Struc¬ 
tured FORTRAN 77 for Engineers and 
Scientists , succeeds in familiarizing his 
readers with the capabilities of comput¬ 
ers, FORTRAN 77 fundamentals, and 
good problem-solving techniques. The 
book abounds with good example ap¬ 
plications; some are solved, the rest are 
exercises. Solutions to selected prob¬ 
lems appear in an appendix. 

The book contains insightful style 
and technique guides, debugging aids, 
and programming hints. Structured pro¬ 
gramming is examined, with both flow¬ 
charts and pseudocode used as devel¬ 
opment tools. Later examples stress 
modularity and step-wise refinement. 

After an introduction to computing, 
the author addresses arithmetic compu¬ 
tations, including implicit and explicit 
typing, arithmetic hierarchy, and intrin¬ 
sic functions. Fie continues with I/O, 
covering list-directed, formatted, and 
file I/O (important, yet often omitted). 

Chapter 4 presents FORTRAN con¬ 
trol structures. The use of an artificial 
WHILE.. .DO construct made from an 
IF.. .THEN.. .ENDIF and a GOTO is 
stressed. The use of older FORTRAN 
constructs, such as the arithmetic IF and 
the computed GOTO is discouraged. 
The next two chapters contain good dis¬ 
cussions of DO loop structures and ar¬ 
rays. Excellent descriptions of single- 
and multidimensional arrays are given. 

Chapter 7 covers subprograms, in¬ 
cluding an explanation of intrinsic and 
external functions, subroutines, and 
COMMON blocks and BLOCK DATA 
subprograms. A program to introduce 
interference plots on a printer serves as 
an excellent primer on character strings 
—the focus of chapter 8. 


The final chapter addresses topics 
usually omitted or superficially treated 
in introductory texts. Double-precision 
and complex arithmetic, logical vari¬ 
ables, and IMPLICIT, PARAMETER, and 
EQUIVALENCE statements are intro¬ 
duced in concise sections. Additional 
topics are variable formatting and less- 
frequently used subprogram statements, 
such as SAVE, INTRINSIC, EXTERNAL, 
and ENTRY. The book concludes by 
completing the treatment of file I/O. 

Excellent in content and presenta¬ 
tion style, the book offers a complete 
view of FORTRAN 77. It is blessed with 
the author’s well-written, well-edited 
prose. Constant attention to program¬ 
ming style and debugging techniques 
make it stand out. 

TEACHING ASSISTANT 

Daniel D. McCracken, the author of 
Computing for Engineers and Scientists 
with FORTRAN 77, shares his many 
years of teaching experience in an in¬ 
sightful manner. He presents the mate¬ 
rial in a logical, well-structured fashion 
by anticipating and coping with ques¬ 
tions as they naturally arise. 

The book has four goals: to pro¬ 
mote programming competence, to re¬ 
veal the computer’s powers and its limi¬ 
tations, to establish effective communi¬ 
cation with programming experts, and 
to use a computer without resorting to 
conventional programming. 

The author places great emphasis 
on programming style and structure 
throughout the text. The entire fifth 
chapter is devoted to program develop¬ 
ment and testing. The concepts of top- 
down design, step-wise refinement, and 
modularization are explained and 
demonstrated in detail through exam¬ 
ples. In a novel approach, the author 
presents a complete root-solving pro¬ 
gram with known syntax and logic er¬ 
rors. The student is encouraged to en¬ 
ter the program and gain firsthand ex¬ 
perience with debugging techniques. 


JUNE 1987 


195 






BOOK REVIEWS 


Following an excellent introduc¬ 
tion, the author discusses assignment 
statements and control structures. Stan¬ 
dard FORTRAN 77 control structures 
and simulations of WHILE.. .DO and 
REPEAT.. .UNTIL structures are given. 
The fourth chapter introduces functions 
and subroutines; the ninth reinforces 
them. Subroutine libraries, such as that 
produced by IMSL (International Math 
Subroutine Library), are mentioned. 

Formatted I/O, DO statements, and 
arrays are covered individually. Double¬ 
precision, complex, logical, and charac¬ 
ter variables are viewed in chapter 8. 

The final chapter, “Nonprocedural 
Approaches to Application Develop¬ 
ment,” is most intriguing. The author 
describes several software packages 
(such as Microsoft muMATH, informa¬ 
tion-retrieval systems, and text format¬ 
ting programs) as alternatives to tradi¬ 
tional programming. Sample on-line 
sessions illustrate the utility of this 
problem-solving approach. 

The book contains many excellent 
examples and exercises of increasing 
complexity. Many are answered at the 
end of the book. The only potential 
weakness in the book is its failure to 
discuss the entire language. Unlike the 
first book, file I/O is not addressed. 

Teaching by example, the author 
considers programming as an art form, 
with its nuances of style. For this rea¬ 
son, and for its overall effectiveness as 
an introduction to FORTRAN 77, this 
book is highly recommended. 

OPULENT EXAMPLES 

Like the first two books, FORTRAN for 
Technologists and Engineers supports 
programming classes for science and 
engineering students. In it, the author, 
James Valentino, seeks to present the 
language, to develop good program¬ 
ming habits, and to apply practical 
problem-solving techniques; he suc¬ 
ceeds, with a few shortcomings. 

A general discussion of computers 
is followed by an introduction to the 
language. The author examines how to 
write and run an entire FORTRAN pro¬ 
gram; both batch and interactive pro¬ 
cessing are discussed. 

The book’s clear layout and good 
examples aid in the discussion of for¬ 
matted I/O in chapter 4. List directed 
and file I/O are not discussed—a some¬ 
what serious deficiency. 

The next two chapters discuss 
arithmetic assignment statements and 
exponential notation. The outstanding 
examples and real-world problems are 
drawn from a variety of disciplines. 


Those in chapter 6, for instance, involve 
fluid dynamics, orbital mechanics, and 
AC (alternating current) circuit analysis. 

Chapters 7 and 8 involve control 
structures. Each FORTRAN control struc¬ 
ture is explained in detail and featured 
in examples. The WHILE.. .DO and 
DO.. .UNTIL constructs of watcom 
WATFIV-S are given special emphasis. 

One-, two-, and three-dimensional 
arrays are studied in the next two chapr 
ters. Examples use DO loops and im¬ 
plied DO loops in the input, process¬ 
ing, and output of data in arrays. State¬ 
ment functions, functions, and subrou¬ 
tines share a chapter with COMMON 
blocks. Stressing structured program¬ 
ming techniques, the author gives ex¬ 
amples of modular programs. 

Emphasizing scientific and engi¬ 
neering applications, the author devotes 
a chapter to complex arithmetic. The 
mathematics involved is briefly re¬ 
viewed and its use in FORTRAN is ex¬ 
plained. An example program deter¬ 
mines the effective magnitude and 
phase angle of the current in an AC LRC 
(inductor-resistor-capacitor) circuit. 

The final chapter covers additional 
features of the language, such as charac¬ 
ter data, logical variables, and double¬ 
precision variables. The first appendix 
lists FORTRAN library functions; the sec¬ 
ond covers programming on the IBM 
PC with the outdated IBM PC Profes¬ 
sional FORTRAN compiler. 

In general, this book makes a fine 
introductory text applicable for both 
classroom and individual use. The 
book’s strongest feature is its selection 
of examples, offering over 350 solved 
problems and exercises. The topic areas 
include electrical and mechanical engi¬ 
neering, mathematics, and business. 

The book does have some weak 
points. It could be improved by includ¬ 
ing discussions of the complete lan¬ 
guage. Important FORTRAN features, 
such as file I/O and the BLOCK DATA 
subprogram, are omitted. The author 
should have concentrated on the lan¬ 
guage standard instead of individual im¬ 
plementations such as WATFIV-S. The 
book is also limited by its failure to in¬ 
troduce pseudocode as an algorithm 
development tool, and by several typo¬ 
graphical errors within the figures. 

Overall, the book’s strengths out¬ 
weigh its weaknesses. It is recom¬ 
mended as an introductory textbook. 

LOOTED APPEAL 

The fourth book, Programming the IBM 
Personal Computer: FORTRAN 77 by 
Robert A. Rouse and Thomas L. Bugnitz, 


is disappointing and frustrating. The 
two authors rely upon the early Micro¬ 
soft FORTRAN compiler, which proves 
to be a mistake for two reasons. First, 
the early version of that compiler did 
not comply with the improved standard 
that was adopted in 1978 by the Ameri¬ 
can National Standards Institute and the 
International Standards Organization. 
Second, the compiler has changed over 
time to include more language features. 
With other compilers available that 
comply with the standard, the authors 
should have been more selective—es¬ 
pecially with “FORTRAN 77” used 
prominendy in the book’s tide. 

The book starts out strong, but 
quickly tires. An introduction to com¬ 
puters is followed by an illustration of 
FORTRAN 77 structured programming 
style. Pseudocode is used to introduce 
structured programming methodology. 
The chapter on style uses examples 
aimed at producing programs quickly. A 
more effective approach would be to 
give examples as the language is ex¬ 
plained, not before. 

FORTRAN 77 data types are de¬ 
scribed in the third chapter. Unfortu¬ 
nately, the book’s alignment with the 
early Microsoft product results in state¬ 
ments such as, “The IBM Personal Com¬ 
puter will allow character strings of up 
to 127 characters.” This limitation, how¬ 
ever, is compiler-specific. 

The authors go on to discuss as¬ 
signment statements, data manipulation, 
and basic I/O techniques. Chapter 5 em¬ 
phasizes sequential, formatted files. 
Control structures are developed in the 
next two chapters. The first treats IF 
statements. A FORTRAN 77 simulation of 
DO.. WHILE and REPEAT.. .UNTIL con¬ 
structs is given in the second. 

The next chapter introduces pro¬ 
gram modularization. Here, functions, 
statement functions, and subroutines 
are explained. Chapter 9 addresses di¬ 
rect-access, unformatted files along with 
advanced I/O features. The book con¬ 
cludes with a brief treatment of logical 
variables and subprogram libraries. Sev¬ 
eral routines are provided, such as a 
polynomial differentiation subroutine. 

This book is not recommended. It 
is incomplete, too brief, and too com¬ 
piler-specific to be of use as a textbook 
on FORTRAN 77. The other three 
books, however, are excellent guides to 
the language. D. M. Etter’s Structured 
FORTRAN 77 for Engineers and Scien¬ 
tists stands out from the other two be¬ 
cause it covers the complete language 
and does so with style. ligun^l 

—JEFFERY W. WILSON 


196 


PC TECH JOURNAL 



icro-to-Mainframe 

CONNECTIONS . 


In today’s information 
^****m 0 r age, sharing data 

^ between your mainframe and PC 

is an essential link, innovative Data 
Technology’s 1/2-inch, 9-track tape 
subsystems feature the new “LEO” intelligent 
ta P e controller for the IBM-PC/XT/AT and 
compatibles including the new 386 PCs. These allow 
w/r users to write and read 7 or 9 track, industry standard tapes 
^ in densities of 200/556/800/1600/6250 bpi with either ASCII or 
EBCDIC codes compatible with most mini’s and mainframes. IDT 
offers a complete DOS software package of user friendly window 
software utilities with help screens that will enable you to move your 
mainframe data to your PC. Included are: file transfer utilities for both 
IBM labeled or unlabeled tapes, format and dump utilities, 
and a comprehensive backup/restore utility. IDT also has software 
support for XENIX and PICK operating systems. 

IDT manufactures magnetic 
tape drives and controllers 

interchange requirements. . 

For more information, • gflH 

contact us today. ' \ 


5340 Eastgate Mali • San Diego, CA 92121 
(619) 587-0555 • TWX: (910) 335-1610 
Regional Offices: 

Eastern: (609) 596-4538 
Western: (714) 968-8082 
DOS/XENiX/PICK/IBM are registered trademarks of Microsoft/PICK/IBM respectively. 


INNOVATIVE 

DATA 

TECHNOLOGY 


Laptop Users: 

This thing is fabulous” 

John C. Dvorak* 

We couldn't agree more with John Dvorak, and couldn't 
have said it better: "Buy the Brooklyn Bridge from White 
Crane Systems.... It’s a combination cable and software 
package that hooks the Toshiba or Zenith (and other MS- 
DOS laptops) to your PC, XT or AT via the serial port and 
allows you full access to all the disk drives of both 


nn n n ii T VV I machmes for effortless file transfer (at 115K bits per 

pKUURLl 1 second).... Installation is a snap. It works first time out, 

BRIDGE! no glitches. It’s transparent. It's great. And since it’s 
priced at $129.95, it would be silly to buy an add-on drive 
for your MS-DOS laptop. 

“Call the company at (404)454-7911 or write them at White 
white crane Crane Systems, 6889 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard (Suite 
systems 151), Norcross, GA 30092. My highest recommendation.” 

404 - 454-7911 * Reprinted from PC Magazine 

February 10,1987 

suite 151 Copyright 1987 Ziff 

Communications Company 

6889 Peachtree Ind. 


Norcross, Georgia 


If you need help with writing your 
user manuals or marketing literature 
then you need Xanthus! 


CIRCLE NO. 226 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


The Documentation Experts 

From initial writing through final printing, we 
can quickly and economically create or improve 
your documentation and the image it projects 
for both your product and your company. 

Our clients range from small software 
developers to Fortune 500 corporations. 

Call (512) 450-0044 

Xanthus Corporation 
9171 Capital of Texas Hwy. 
Austin Bldg., Suite 230 
Austin, Texas 78759 


CIRCLE NO. 228 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


VT100/VT52 & Tektronix™ 
4010/4014 Terminal Emulator 

Excellent emulation and the features you want: 


use 4096 x 3120 resolution -♦ 18 User-definable keys 

pan, and window plots -> capture plots and text on disk 
•esolution printer dumps -> full or half duplex 
e text and plot color -» access to DOS commands 
: er files with -» all VT100 keypad commands 

V and Kermit protocols -* command line editing 
last 4 pages of text -► fast direct screen access 

ilumn VT100 capability -» password security 

VTEK makes your PC better than a terminal 


-* zoom, pan, and window plots 
-» high resolution printer dumps 
-* choose text and plot color 
-* transfer files with 
XMODEM and Kermit protocols 
-» scroll last 4 pages of text 
132 column VT100 capability 


S150 from Scientific Endeavors 


Publication Quality Graphics for 
Scientific and Technical Applications 


-♦ linear, log, & polar plots ■* multiple levels of Subscripts 

-*■ bar charts & Smith charts 4096 x 3120 resolution 

-> contour plots with labels -* zoom, pan, window plots 

-> 3-D curves, 3-D surfaces -> multiple plots on a page 

with hidden line removal •* high resolution printer 

-» 4 curve types, 8 markers dumps, full or half page 

-> 14 fonts, font editor -* plotter support in COLOR 

16 color plots on EGA, Sigma, TeleVideo & Tecmar boards 

Over 100 routines can be called by your 
C program. $350. Demo $8. 

SOURCE INCLUDED for private use only. 

For DeSmet, C-86, Aztec, Lattice, and Microsoft C compilers. 

Scientific Endeavors 

Route 4, Box 79; Kingston, TN 37763 
C615] 376-4146 

WVW For 256k IBM and Corona PCs, DOS 2.xx,3.xx. 
Epson, Okidata, Toshiba, C. Itoh printers. 

I Hewlett Packard, Houston, Sweet-P plotters. 
Corona Laser printer. IBM, IBM EGA, Sigma, 
TeleVideo, Tecmar, Hercules, Corona graphics. 
/° A compatible assembler is required. 

THIS AD WAS MADE USING Graphic” 


CIRCLE NO. 107 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


CIRCLE NO. 108 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


JUNE 1987 


197 










^— KADAK’S 

engineers bring 
years of practical real-time 
experience to this mature 


MULTI-TASKING SYSTEM 

(version 2.0) 

for the IBM® PC, PC/XT and PC/AT 


No royalties 
IBM PC DOS® support 
C language support 
Preemptive scheduler 
Time slicing available 
Intertask message passing 


Dynamic operations: 

- task create/delete 

- task priorities 

- memory allocation 
Event Manager 
Semaphore Manager 


AMX86™ operates on any 8086/88, 80186/88, 80286 system. 

Demo package $25 US KADAK Products Ltd. 

Manual only $75 US 206-1847 W. Broadway 

AMX86 system $2195 US Vancouver, B.C., Canada 

(shipping/handling extra) V6J 1Y5 


Also available for 8080, Z80, 68000 


Telephone: (604) 734-2796 
IF Telex: 04-55670 


CIRCLE NO. 258 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


CIRCLE NO. 111 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC MAINFRAME 

VIA 9-TRACK TAPE 


For Information Interchange-Backup-Archival Storage 

IBM format compatible 9-track, Vi inch magnetic tape is the universally accepted 
media for mainframes and minicomputers. Catamount offers Low Cost, Lightweight 
9-track Tape Subsystems for the IBM-PC/XT/AT computers which allow: 

• Reading tapes generated on mainframes and minicomputers. 

• Writing tapes to be read on mainframes and minis. 

• ASCII, EBCDIC and Binary tapes accommodated. 

• 800 bpi NRZI, 160 % 2 oo bpi PE, and 6250 bpi GCR format systems available. 

• Storage capacities up to 270 MB on a single reel. 

Systems come complete with comprehensive DOS command syntax oriented 
software and an Installable Device Driver. For OEM applications, 
the tape controller is available separately. 


For information interchange, backup and archival storage, 
IBEX offers a 9-track, IBM format-compatible Vz magnetic 
tape subsystem for the IBM PC, featuring: 

■ IBM format 1600/3200 and 800 cpi. 

■ Software for PC-DOS, MS-DOS. 

■ Also for DEC, VAX, VME, I 
S-100, RS-232, IEEE 488. I 


Write, phone or TWX for information. 


IBEX COMPUTER CORR 

20741 Marilla St. 

Chatsworth, CA 91311 
(818) 709-8100 
TWX: 910-493-2071 


■ ADALAB-PC @ 

Adds Lab Data Acquisition 
^ To Your IBM®PC For $655 

\ An ideal interface for chromatography, 

\ spectrophotometry, process control, etc. 

/V' v - ADALAB-PC includes O a 13-bit 

" integrating A/D, © a 12-bit fast A/D (up 
BJjp to 20 kHz, add $275), © a 12-bit D/A voltage 

output, O a second 12-bit D/A (add $55), © 32 
digital I/O bits, © four 16-bit timers or counters, and O a 

_ rT _-- terminator board which has a 4-channel mul- 

pL- L -^ ^ tiplexer and convenient screw 

| 1 — B Jj © terminals (16-channel 

jP^ -, ©I differential analog 

gains from 1 to 256, 

© © Versatile ADAPT soft- 
wmggm, ware and manual (free with 

WmV* ADALAB-PC) works with BASIC, 

FORTRAN or PASCAL, includes self-test 
© and data acquisition software. Supports fast DMA 
sampling, extended memory storage, L^sggg| 

scrolling stripchart display. ■■mm © 
© LABTECH NOTEBOOK software $895/_BHM 

® IMI is an IBM Value Added Dealer. _ 

COMPLETE ADALAB-PC SYSTEMS .-^ 

at $2998, including 256K IBM PC, pg 
360KB disk, PC DOS 3.0, green moni- H J 

tor, color/graphics adapter, Epson fMaypi labtech 
printer with adapter & cable, ADALAB- notebook 

PC, ADAPT software, plus IMI’s Scien- ~ -1__ 

tific Plotter-PC ($105) and Curve Fitter- - 1 

PC software ($105) FREE with systems! ® T B r Cs^ 

INTERACTIVE MICROWARE, INC. 
■ ■Ill P-O. Box 139, Dept. 237 Telex: 705250 
■UJB State College, PA 16804 (814) 238-8294 


CIRCLE NO. 208 FOR APPLE, NO. 209 FOR IBM 


CIRCLE NO. 149 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


198 


PC TECH JOURNAL 




















EXPERT CONSULTANT: APPLIED AI 


RICHARD L. SCHWARTZ and ROBERT E. SHOSTAK 


Framing Knowledge 

Artificial intelligence can be used to instill 
common sense into computers by organizing 
knowledge into a particular frame of reference. 

IWf 



C onsider the following conversation: 

“Can you come for dinner next 
Saturday?” 

“I’m not sure. I will have to try to 
get a sitter.” 

“Maybe Mary can do it” 

“Is there anything I can bring?” 

“Maybe some wine.” 

The speakers convey a substantial 
amount of information that is not expli- 
cidy addressed. For example, location 
of the dinner at the home of the first 
speaker is implied. Presumably, “to get 
a sitter” means the second speaker will 
have to ask a babysitter to take care of 
his children for next Saturday night so 
that he can attend the dinner. The “it” 
that Mary may be able to do is the 
babysitting task. Asking to bring any¬ 
thing is customary when being invited 
to someone’s house for dinner, and 
“wine” is the customary response. A 
larger gift, such as a new car, would not 
even be considered. 

How did this conversation manage 
to convey so much information so 
quickly and with so little qualification? 
The answer has to do with the base of 
knowledge that the two speakers share. 
Because of common experiences involv¬ 
ing hosting guests, giving dinner par¬ 
ties, and bringing up children, the 
speakers can communicate efficiently 
with very sketchy information. 

Put succinctly, human beings are 
able to use common sense. Drawing 
from previous experience with the 
same or similar situations, people rely 
on standard stereotypes to suggest in¬ 
terpretations and appropriate behavior. 
People can adapt in order to deal with 
shifting truths and changing facts. 

Computers, on the other hand, tra¬ 
ditionally have manipulated rigidly held 
truths with deductions based on sound 
mathematical reasoning. Artificial intelli¬ 
gence, however, uses certain techniques 
to model common sense and stereotypi¬ 
cal knowledge. These techniques direct 
the search for relevant information, cut¬ 


ting down the sheer bulk of knowledge 
that must be considered in order to 
draw appropriate conclusions. 

Much work in knowledge repre¬ 
sentation within the AI community 
focuses on the concept of frames. Orig¬ 
inally proposed by Marvin Minsky in 
1975, this concept has initiated a large 
body of research. 

A frame provides a structure, or 
framework, in which to interpret infor¬ 
mation in terms of previous experience. 
It is a form of representing knowledge 
about objects and events that catego¬ 
rizes what is typical about a context. A 
frame includes information about 

• what entities (people, objects, and 
locations) are involved; 

• key questions to be answered; 

• how to get answers to the questions; 

• what default answers can be assumed 
if no other information is available; 

• what other frames are related. 

Frames represent one method of 
hierarchically organizing knowledge to 
reduce the amount of data that must be 
checked for relevance. They are used to 
organize knowledge in a way that di¬ 
rects attention toward important details. 
They also provide a context that gov¬ 
erns expectations about what questions 
need to be answered. 

Information about the presence of 
certain people or objects can suggest 


exploration of a specific frame. This in 
turn can focus a search for the other 
players typically involved in the frame. 
Fitting this information into the frame 
helps to reinforce the frame’s relevance. 
Having identified the players, the frame 
then provides a series of questions to 
determine pertinent facts. The frame 
would suggest procedures to help find 
the answers to these questions. 

A very important contribution of 
the frame is the assignment of default 
values. Managing these default values— 
and revising assumptions when actual 
information becomes available—is a key 
aspect of a frame’s utility. Research in 
psychology suggests that when pre¬ 
sented with a situation, people assign 
concrete interpretations rather than 
leaving the concepts abstract. These de¬ 
fault images are refined as actual details 
are uncovered. People draw conclu¬ 
sions based on the default values. Re¬ 
lated experiences can be invoked in the 
context of the default assumptions. 

As an example, the sentence, “The 
baby played with the toy,” conjures up 
a mental image of a particular baby and 
a specific type of toy. The baby’s age 
and the kind of toy would depend on 
your previous associations with babies. 
The toy undoubtedly would be small 
and lightweight, perhaps a rattle or 
small ball; it certainly would not be a 


JUNE 1987 


199 


ILLUSTRATION • MACIEK ALBRECHT 



EXPERT CONSULTANT: APPLIED AI 


sharp object. These kinds of assumed 
properties can subtly direct inferences. 

A frame can be a special instance 
of another more general frame. This al¬ 
lows one frame to inherit the character¬ 
istics of another frame, augmented by 
more specialized properties. A dinner¬ 
party frame, for example, is a specific 
instance of both a dinner frame and an 
entertainment-at-home frame. 

The dialogue presented at the be¬ 
ginning of this column involves several 
different frames. A dinner-party frame 
would define that a dinner party in¬ 
cludes a host and one or more guests. 
Because the host is inviting people to 
his or her home, a visitors-to-home 
frame also is relevant. Inviting guests 
with children carries a default assump¬ 
tion that the children are not invited, 
thereby triggering a babysitter frame. 

These frames could have the fol¬ 
lowing structures: 

Dinner-party frame (specialized instance 
of dinner and visitors-at-home frames). 
Players: Host, one or more guests 

Location: Home of host; ask for direc¬ 
tions to home if not known 
Invitation: Initiated by host 
Scope of 

invitation: Default to immediate recip¬ 
ient and spouse 


Time: Date and time for visit; de¬ 

fault to 8 p.m. on weekend 
To bring: Gift appropriate to dinner; 

default to wine or flowers 
Babysitting frame (specialized instance of 
family and contract services frames). 
Players: Parents, children, babysitter 

Babysitter: Person over 12 years old 
Payment: Default to $3 per hour 
Motivation: Children cannot be left 
alone at home 
Location: Home of parents 
Action: Parents leave house; chil¬ 

dren stay with babysitter 
Each slot in a frame defines a 
property to be discovered and a proce¬ 
dure to find it when not explicitly pro¬ 
vided. This procedure can be specified 
directly in a programming language 
such as LISP, or it can be described 
through a set of constraints using Pro¬ 
log or mathematical logic. 

Frames have been used as the top- 
level organization for knowledge in ex¬ 
pert systems. The system is responsible 
for determining which frames are rele¬ 
vant for a given context and evaluating 
the procedures attached to frame slots 
to drive the reasoning and problem¬ 
solving within the system. 

Many variations of the frames ap¬ 
proach have been proposed in the AI 


literature and have been applied to a 
variety of problems. For example, in 
natural language understanding, frames 
provide one way to deal with anaphoric 
references (such as the use of if) and 
with indirect answers (to avoid the 
computer answering “Yes” in response 
to the question “Do you know what 
time it is?”). In image understanding 
and computer vision, frames have been 
used to deal with reasoning about any 
objects that are only partially visible 
(“Does that look like another door back 
there?”). For document recognition sys¬ 
tems, frames provide a way to recover 
from partially readable information, 
based on context. In computer-aided 
fault-diagnosis, frames can be used in 
developing and substantiating a model 
of a potential problem. 

The jury is still out about whether 
frame-based approaches are still too 
.rigid for reasoning about imprecise and 
evolving information. In a future col¬ 
umn, we will cover recent work on 
knowledge representation based on 
neural networks that are patterned after 
the human brain. 1 *"1111 tel 


Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., and Robert Shostak, 
Ph.D., are vice presidents of software develop¬ 
ment and cofounders of Ansa Software. 


GET PC/XT HEADACHE RELIEF. 


Take one WELTEC floppy 
drive and upgrade your PC or 
XT to AT capacity-without 
changing your controller card. 


Is your mix of IBM PC’s 
and XT’s giving you an 
MIS headache? Get rid of it 
fast with our versatile 5 Vi" 
half-height flexible disk 
drive. 

• 1.2 Mb formatted 
capacity 

• No additional controller 
card needed 

• Brushless direct-drive 
motor with 30,000 MTBF 


IBM'" PC, XT and AT are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp. 



Full interchange of 
diskettes between IBM 
AT and PC or XT as well 
as most IBM compatible 
systems 

Internal or external 
configurations 
ANSI and industry 
interface compatibility 


Get relief now! 
Call 714/250-1959 

VAD and VAR inquiries invited 


E3 WELTEC 

digital, inc. 

17875 Sky Park North, Suite P, Irvine, CA 92714 


CIRCLE NO. 243 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 









DOMINOES SOLUTION 

Our last Applied AI column (“What Computers Cannot 
Do,” March 1987, p. 177) presented two dominoes prob¬ 
lems that were left to be solved by the reader. The an¬ 
swers to these problems are provided below. 

—Richard Schwartz and Roben Shostak 


THREE-PIECE DOMINO SOLUTION 



The three-domino set is unsolvable. None of the domi¬ 
noes can cover the plane by itself. Moreover, the only 
way they combine vertically is as shown. A solution must 
consist of an infinite vertical column formed by stacking 
three blocks. Because the column’s left edge does not 
mate with the right edge, no solution is possible. 

TEN-PIECE DOMINO SOLUTION 



Several solutions exist for the ten-piece set. This figure 
shows a solution similar to one published by Hao Wang 
in November 1965. It is formed by a repeating 3-by-12 
block, two instances of which are shown side-by-side. 



USERS CAN ADD NEW FUNCTIONS 
TO LOTUS , WORDSTAR AND dBASE 


Move into 

THE WEINER SHELL 

GET ROOM TO GROW 

► Add your own functions to LOTUS, WORDSTAR, dBASE & 
most other programs on the market. 

► Custom-design memory-resident windows, menus, screens & 
utilities. 

► Run Shell programs without leaving your application. 

► Execute Shell programs automatically, at timed intervals, or 
with user-defined hot keys. 

* 50K memory required. Supports up to 8M bytes of Lotus- 
Intel memory. 

• $199 (includes limited no-royalty agreement). 

THE FIRST MEMORY-RESIDENT 
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE 


Q'RtyPMO 

miCROpROdUCtS 

P.0. Box 6543/Silver Spring, MD 20906/(301) 384-6868 

SEE US AT COMDEX/SPRING, BOOTH 3751 




Get real productive with REAL-TOOLS, a 
general purpose set of “C” development 
tools for UNIX™ and XENIX™ 

Get Gtx y iiics Too! In addition to 
an advanced screen management system 
and superior windowing capabilities, REAL- 
TOOLS offers user-defined graphics for 
you to draw, save, recall, copy and animate 
symbols and panels. 

So if you’re developing applications for the 
real world — get real productive. Get 
graphics. Get REAL-TOOLS. 



$99 Binary only. $549 Library source. $999 Complete source. 



Pioneering Controls Technologies, Inc. 

510 Bering Drive, Suite 300, Houston, Texas 77057 
(713) 266-8649 

'“REAL-TOOLS is a trademark of Pioneering Controls Technologies, Inc. 

'“UNIX is a trademark of AT&T 

'“XENIX is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. 


CIRCLE NO. 161 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


JUNE 1987 


201 




































































savings and a capability increase! 


William Wong, PC labs 


The results are in. BATRAM outperforms 
disk drives! And now, with exclusive 
software, BATRAM also performs as an 
EMS device! 


This ultra-high performance IBM PC/XT/AT 
compatible mass storage device combines the 
speed of RAM, the safety of long term battery 
backup, and the security of sophisticated ECC 
(Error Correction Coding) to give you extremely 
fast, safe, and reliable storage. 


EXCLUSIVE EMS SOFTWARE 

Santa Clara Systems’ exclusive EMS software gives 
you the ability to partition BATRAM’s memory for 
each workstation on the network, instead of 
purchasing an expensive EMS board for each 
computer. 


BATRAM IS TOUGH 

BATRAM’S rugged shock-mounted, no-moving- 
parts construction is built for use and abuse in 
tough environments. It is totally unaffected by 
the shake, rattle, and roll that render disks 
useless. 


BATRAM: THE FIRST NO-WORRY 
MEMORY 


BATRAM IS 700% FASTER THAN A 
DISK DRIVE. 

Your applications like spreadsheets, data base 
management, CAD/CAM and local area networks, 
which are all disk intensive, benefit from 
BATRAM’s phenomenal speed. 


BATRAM ADDS ERROR CORRECTION 
CODING 


BATRAM only occupies one expansion slot, versus 
up to 4 for competing memory boards. And no 
other EMS/RAM board offers the important ECC 
security that BATRAM offers, making BATRAM the 
ideal EMS unit! 


Call us now for the whole story on the 
industry’s fastest, safest, and most reliable 
storage device: BATRAM, the no-worry 
memory. Dealer inquiries welcome. 
Call (408) 729-6700 today. 


June 1-4,1987 


BATTERIES PROTECT RAM MEMORY 


See us at 

1 CMiMM'/Spring f 8 7 

BOOTH #3634 WEST HALL 


BATRAM SUPPORTS EMS 

The design qualities that make BATRAM such an 
outstanding DOS device, also make it an innova¬ 
tive EMS (Expanded Memory Specification) device. 
Popular programs which support the Lotus/Intel/ 
Microsoft Expanded Memory Standard can access 
BATRAM just as though they were accessing 
internal memory expansion boards, at a cost 


Power interruptions don’t phase BATRAM. Your 
important data is protected by BATRAM’s innova¬ 
tive two week battery backup. These batteries are 
continually charged, delivering full power so 
your data is always safe. You can even unplug 
BATRAM without losing data for up to two 
weeks. BATRAM’s ECC is further assurance of 
your datas integrity. 


^Sy: 


Santa Clara 


stems, Ine. 


A Novell Company 


1610 Berryessa Rd., San Jose, CA 95133 

(408)729-6700/FAX (408)259 0778/TLX 176309 SCS SNJ 


IBM PC/XT/AT are trademarks of International Business Machines Inc. 
Lotus/Intel/Microsoft are trademarks of their respective companies. 


CIRCLE NO. 170 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



NEED IT FAST? 
WANT TO KNOW MORE? 
DON’T HAVE TIME TO 
SHOP AROUND? 


INTRODUCING... 


I f you’re like most system pro¬ 
fessionals you’re up-to-date 
about the products in the PC 
marketplace. You’re aware of 
brand and model differences, are 
informed about connectivity and 
compatibility problems, and you 
shop for competitive prices and 
fast service. 

You’re also probably among the 
many PC TECH JOURNAL readers 
who purchase by mail. That’s 
why we’re starting THE MART— 
PC TECH JOURNAL’S First Class 
Mail-Order Section. 

Starting this month, and every 
month hereafter, you’ll find the 
products you’re looking for 
advertised in THE MART—and 
you’ll benefit from the fast 
service and helpful support that 
identifies PC TECH JOURNAL 
advertisers. 

If you’re ready for First Class 
service, you’re ready for THE 
MART. 



FIRST CLASS MAIL ORDER SECTION! 


AST ADVANTAGE W/1 28K.$365 

VI DO 7 VEGA EGA .$425 

GENOA SPECTRUM.$295 

FORTE PJ.$875 

INTERNAL HARD DISKS FOR THE AT* 
SEAGATE USED BY IBM 

PRIAM 40 MB.$1195 

PRIAM 60 MB.$1395 

RODIME 20 MB.$595 

RODIME 32 MB.$695 

CORE 20 MB "F".$1195 

CORE 30 MB ' F”.$1395 

CORE 40 MB.$1795 

CORE 56 MB.$2595 

CORE 7 ? MR _ $3905 


fiB a m.. 

e reflects quantity purcha 


SEAG7 

SEAG7 

SEAG/ 


LASEF 
128 M 


Jiiyu 

unde 


"HOT" HEUJPRDDUC 


(25 MS) 


UNIock ALBUM “A" 

$49.95 


’lot’s enha 
or softwar 
impatibles 


LOTUS 1-2-3™ (i.A, i.a\ 2.0) 

dBASE III™ (1.0, 1.1. 1.2 & PLUS) 

FRAMEWORK™ (i.o. i.i. m 
SYSTAT™ (i.3 & 2.0) 
SPOTLIGHT™ (i.o & i.i) 
GRAPHWRITER™ (4.3 & 4.3i) 
REALIA COBOL™ ( 1 . 2 , 2 . 0 ) 


kB^HT. 

B F. HT. 

BF.HT • (25 MS) 


(25 MS) 


★ AMERICA’S 

★ 

LOWEST PRICES 

ARE EVEN LOWER NOW!!! 

IBM XT 256K/1 Dr./20 MB 

2250 

IBM XT 256K/1 Dr./30 MB 

2299 

IBM A T ;*2K/20 MB 

3895 

IBM AT 512K/30 MB 

3995 

Compaq Desk Pro-1 128K/1 Dr 

1699 

Compaq Portable 256K/2 Dr 

1650 

AST 6 PAK w/384 K/Advantage 

259/369 

MCI MSC w/384K 

175 

Samsung/PGS Max 12 

109/169 

Princeton HX 12/E 

435/535 

Hercules Color Card/Monochrome graphic 150/299 

Hayes 1200Bw/SW 

349 

| US Robotics Courier 2400 

419 | 


SPECIALS 


in MR Hard nick 


= PEM iNTRonuriNC 


EC VT-100/VT-52, a Retrogl 
3, a Tektronix 4010/4014 oil 
Tektronix 4027. Over 12,Ol 
rrently in use world-wide atl 
ations, educational facilities J 
nd independent consulting I 

ore information call toll free! 


UU 


I ffltghl 


1 Perfof 
Drive Subsyste § 

DRIVE PEI I 


j/~i CT/I™ ^ om Pl e,e 
4L,CbJ 1 / / Forecasting 
System 


Configuration j Sta ll 


AT SPEER 


ne industry's recognized leader in High Performance Spe | 
ve performed extensive research and developed unmateg 
ield. Our products otter the COMPLETE solution. 


(CELX "* -Switch from five frequencies including the standi 
2HMz. Uses reliable frequency synthesis to allow compote 
vith all IBM ATs including the TYPE 2 and Model 239 .... 

Crvstals-The famous Ariel cyrstals. Choose fromp 
23-24 MHz. 

FAST 80286-10-Micro-processor for 20-24 MHz speeds . 
FAST RAM-For System Board 128K 120 & IOO NS. 


For marketing, planning, financial 
and forecasting professionals: 

■ Easy lo use menus with on-screen help 
facilities 

■ Most often used forecasting methods 

■ Popular spreadsheet interfaces 

■ Outstanding color graphics 

■ Fast RAM-based program 

■ Thoroughly tested and numerically 
accurate 

■ Exponential smooth 

■ Step-wise and robus 
capabilities 

■ Macro language for 
applications 

■ Full documentation 

Only: S350 Demo C 

4CaST/2X: includes a f 
version of the Census'X 
Only: S595 Demo L 

Both versions run on IR 


IB for AT 


389 

479 

559 

895 

775 

379 

360/499 

539 

575/675 


ISA MC AMEX COD PO 


ie s' 0 '^\oC» X '° e( eo 


“Top Sellers Series 
UNIock DISK “NO. 101“ 


$14.95 


(Plus $4 ship/hanaimg 
Foreign orders S9l 


LOTUS 1-2-3” 

(I.A. I.A*. 2.0) 

“Top Seller Series” 
UNIocks individual 
best selling programs 
at a special low price! 



















































ffiYSTEK 


am 


LOTUS/INTEL EMS 
SPECIFICATION BOARDS 

MegaPage™ The only EMS board which 
comes populated with two megabytes of 
cool-running, low power drain CMOS 
RAM installed Includes RAM disk, print 
spooler, disk cache and EMS drivers. For 
the IBM PC, XT and compatibles...$549 


MegaPage with 0K. $149 

MegaPage with 2 megabytes of HMOS 
RAM. $419 


MegaPage AT/ECC™ EMS card for the 
PC AT and compatibles includes Error 
Correction Circuitry. With ECC, 11 RAM 
chips cover 256K so the user never en¬ 
counters RAM errors With 1 megabyte 


CMOS RAM.$699 

INTEL, JRAM, or Maynard.CALL 

INTEL INBOARD 386 0K.$1325 


8087 SOFTWARE 


IBM BASIC COMPILER.$465 

MICROSOFT QUICK BASIC.$79 

87BASIC COMPILER PATCH.$150 

87 BASIC/INLINE.$200 

IBM MACRO ASSEMBLER.$155 

MS MACRO ASSEMBLER.$99 

87 MACRO/DEBUG.$199 

MICROSOFT FORTRAN V4.$299 

RM FORTRAN.$399 

LAHEY FORTRAN F77L.$477 

MS or LATTICE C. CALL 

STSC APL-Ar PLUS/PC.$450 

STSC STATGRAPHICS.$675 

SPSS/PC+.$695 

87SFL Scientific Functions.$250 

87FFT.$200 

OBJ — ASM.$200 

PHOENIX PRODUCTS. CALL 


CALL (617) 746-7341 FOR OUR COMPLETE CATALOG 


8087 UPGRADES 

All MicroWay 8087s include a one year 
warranty, complete MicroWay Test 
Program and installation instructions 

8087 5 MHz $105 

For the IBM PC, XT and compatibles 

8087-2 8 MHz $154 

For Wang AT&T, DeskPro, NEC, Leading Edge 

80287-3 5 MHz $179 

For the IBM PC AT and 286 compatibles 

80287-6 6 MHz $229 

For 8 MHz AT and compatibles 

80287-8 8 MHz $259 

For the 8 MHz 80286 accelerator cards and 
Compaq 386 

80287-1010 MHz.$395 

PC-PAL™ Programmer.$395 

Call for great prices on V20, V30, 

64K, 128K and 256K RAM 


287 Turbo™-10/12 


12 MHz 
8086/8087 
Accelerator 
Plus 

A Megabyte for DOS! 

For the IBM PC, XT and compatibles 

PC Magazine “Editor’s Choice” 


FastCACHE-286™ 

Runs your PC Faster than an AT! 

Runs the 80286 at 9 or 12 MHz and the 
80287 at 8, 9 or 12 MHz. Includes 8 
kbytes of 55ns CACHE 


Compatible with Leading Edge Model D, 
Compaq, and Turbo motherboards In¬ 
cludes 8088 Reboot Switch, DCach§ Print 
Spooler and Diagnostics... From $399 


MICROWAY ACCELERATES YOUR PC! 


Micro 


MicroWay Europe 
32 High Street 
Kingston-Upon-Thames 
Surrey England KT1 1 HL 
Telephone: 01 -541 -5466 


9 P.O. Box 79 
Kingston, Mass. 
02364 USA 
(617) 746-7341 


You Can 
Talk To Us! 


lAlay 


287Turbo runs the 80287 
at 10 or 12 MHz in the IBM 
PC AT, compatibles and the 
new Compaq 386 with 100% 
software compatibility. 

10 MHz.$450 

12 MHz.$550 


PC Magazine “Editor’s Choice” 


MICROWAY SOFTWARE 
FOR LOTUS 1-2-3™ 


FASTBREAK™ employs the 8087 to in¬ 
crease the speed of Lotus 1 -2-3™ Version 
1A or 1 A*. Users are reporting speed ups 
of between 3 and 36 to 1. When run with 
our NUMBER SMASHER accelerator 
card, recalculation speed ups of 10 to 30 

are being reported. $79 

PowerDialer® Add-In for Lotus 1-2-3 
Release 2. Automated telephone dialing 
from within 1 -2-3. Adds least cost routing 
automatic carrier selection and auto¬ 
mated phone book worksheet Builds 
customized dialing applications Can be 

used with DesqView. $79 

HOTLINK™ adds easy linking of spread¬ 
sheets to Lotus 1 -2-3 Version 1A .. $99 


287TURBO-PLUS™ 

Speeds up your AT 

Adjustable 80286 Clock 6-12 MHz 
10 MHz 80287 Clock 

Plus Full Hardware Reset.$149 

Optional 80286-10.$175 


$549 

$629 


287TU RBO- PLUS 

With 80287 10 MHz. 
With 80287 12 MHz. 

























































Programmer’s Paradise Gives You Superb Selection, 
Personal Service and Unbeatable Prices! 

Welcome to Paradise. The MS/PC-DOS and XENIX software source that caters to your programming needs. 

Discover the Many Advantages of Paradise... 

• Lowest price guaranteed • Huge inventory, immediate shipment • Special orders 

• Latest versions • Knowledgeable sales staff • 30-day money-back guarantee 


We’ll Match Any Nationally Advertised Price. 


C TOOLS PLUS 175 

ESSENTIAL C UTILITY LIBRARY 185 
ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS 185 

ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS PLUS 250 
GREENLEAF COMM 185 

GREENI.EAF FUNCTIONS 185 

MULTI-C 149 

MULTI-COMM 149 

PFORCE 295 

THE HAMMER 195 

TIMESLICER 295 

W/. SOURCE 1000 



LIST 

OURS 

C + + 

ADVANTAGE C+ + 

$ 495 

479 

PFORCE+ + 

395 

215 

C COMPILERS 

C86 PLUS 

DATALIGHT C DEVELOPER’S 

497 

379 

KIT 

99 

79 

DATALIGHT OPTIMUM C 

139 

109 

LATTICE C 3.2 

500 

265 

W/SOURCE 

900 

545 

LET’S C 

75 

59 

W/CSD DEBUGGER 

150 

99 

MARK WILLIAMS C 

495 

289 

MICROSOFT C 4.0 

450 

269 

386 HIGH C 

895 

759 

TURBO C 

100 

65 

WIZARD C 

450 

309 

C INTERPRETERS 

C-TERP 

300 

229 

INSTANT C 

500 

379 

INTRODUCING C 

125 

105 

RUN/C 

120 

85 

RUN/C PROFESSIONAL 1.1 

250 

155 

ASSEMBLERS, LINKERS 

ADVANTAGE DISASSEMBLER 

295 

265 

ADVANTAGE LINK 

395 

359 

ASMLIB 

149 

129 

MACRO ASSEMBLER 

150 

93 

PASM-86 

195 

115 

PLINK 86 PLUS 

495 

279 

QUELO 68000 X-ASM 

595 

509 

386|ASM/LINK 

495 

399 


OURS 

119 

DEBUGGERS 

LIST 

OURS 

119 

ADVANCED TRACE 86 

175 

125 

125 

BREAKOUT 

125 

99 

189 

C-SPRITE 

175 

129 

125 

CSD DEBUGGER 

75 

59 

125 

PERISCOPE 13.0 

345 

295 

135 

PERISCOPE II 3.0 

175 

145 

135 

PERISCOPE IIX 3.0 

145 

109 

209 

PERISCOPE III 

995 

825 

139 

PFIX 86 PLUS 

395 

229 

265 

XVIEW 86 

60 

49 


TOPVIEW TOOLBASKET 

250 

179 

SOFTCRAFT 



SCREEN DISPLAY, WINDOWS FOR C 




C WORTHY 

CURSES 

295 

125 

269 

89 

SPECIALS 



W/SOURCE 

250 

175 

BTRIEVE 

245 

185 

FLASH-UP WINDOWS 

90 

79 

XTRIEVE 

245 

185 

GREENLEAF DATA WINDOWS 

225 

155 

REPORT OPTION 

145 

99 

W/SOURCE 

395 

289 

BTRIEVE/N 

595 

455 

MICROSOFT WINDOWS 

99 

65 

XTRIEVE/N 

595 

455 

DEVELOPMENT KIT 

500 

309 

REPORT OPTION/N 

345 

269 


FREE SCIENTIFIC 
& ENGINEERING 
SOLUTIONS CATALOG 

Describes 100 of the best software packages for 
solving complex equations, number crunching, 
analyzing data, 3-D CAD/CAM design, technical word 
processing, circuit design, sophisticated graphics and 
more. Call for your FREE catalog today! 


GRAPHICS 

ESSENTIAL GRAPHICS 
GRAPHIC 

GSS GRAPHICS DEVELOPMENT 
TOOLKIT 

GSS KERNEL SYSTEM 
GSS METAFILE INTERPRETER 
GSS PLOTTING SYSTEM 
HALO —ONE LANGUAGE 
W/TEN FONT PACK 
HALO-FIVE MICROSOFT 
LANGUAGES 
HALO-DPE 
METAWINDOW 
METAWINDOW PLUS 
METAFONTS 
METAFONTS PLUS 

C UTILITY LIBRARIES 
ASYNCH MANAGER 
BASIC C- 

BLACKSTAR FUNCTIONS 
C ESSENTIALS 
C FOOD SMORGASBORD 
W/SOURCE 


ON-LINE HELP 
PANEL 
PANEL PLUS 
POLYDESK III 
QUICKSCREEN 
SCREENPLAY (LATTICE) 
SOFTSCREENHELP 
VIEW MANAGER 
VITAMIN C 3.0 
VC SCREEN 
WINDOWS FOR C 
WINDOWS FOR DATA 
ZVIEW 

FILE MANAGEMENT 

ASMTREE 
BTRIEVE 
XTRIEVE 
REPORT OPTION 
BTRIEVE/N 
XTRIEVE/N 
REPORT OPTION/N 
C-ISAM 
C-TREE 
R-TREE 

C-TREE/R-TREE BUNDLE 
DBC III/II 


149 
295 
495 

99 

295 

150 
195 
275 
225 

99 

295 

395 

245 

395 

245 

245 

145 

595 

595 

345 

225 

395 

295 

650 

250 


109 

215 

395 

79 

265 

135 

175 

199 

199 

85 

239 

315 

175 

339 

185 

185 

99 

455 

455 

269 

195 

315 

239 

519 

169 


250 

195 

W/SOURCE 

500 

359 

350 

289 

DBC III PLUS 

750 

599 

495 

375 

W/SOURCE 

1500 

1195 

DB-VISTA 

195 

145 

495 

375 

W/SOURCE 

495 

399 

395 

235 

DB-QUERY 

W/SOURCE 

195 

155 

495 

375 

495 

399 

300 

205 

INFORMIX 

795 

639 

425 

299 

INFORMIX 4GL 

995 

799 



INFORMIX SQL 

795 

639 

595 

389 

PHACT 

295 

265 

195 

155 




185 

115 

MAKE, LINT, PROFILE, 

UTILITIES 


235 

185 

ADVANTAGE MAKE 

125 

99 

80 

59 

CODE SIFTER 

119 

95 

235 

185 

LMK 

195 

139 



PC-LINT 

139 

99 



PFINISH 

395 

229 

175 

119 

PMAKER 

125 

79 

175 

129 

POLYMAKE 

149 

119 

99 

89 

OTHER POLYTRON 

CALL 

CALL 

100 

85 

PRE-C 

295 

155 

150 

95 

SAPIENS MAKE 

79 

75 

300 

179 

THE PROFILER 

125 

89 


BRIEF 

195 

CALL 

DBRIEF 

95 

CALL 

BRIEF/DBRIEF BUNDLE 

275 

CALL 

CVUE 

75 

59 

W/SOURCE 

250 

195 

EDIX 

195 

155 

EMACS 

295 

265 

EPSILON 

195 

155 

FIRSTIME (C) 

295 

229 

KEDIT 

125 

99 

LSE 

125 

99 

PC/VI 

149 

109 

PMATE 

195 

115 

SPF/PC 

195 

145 

VEDIT 

150 

99 

VEDIT PLUS 

185 

129 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 



ARITY COMBO PACK 

1095 

979 

ARITY PROLOG 

95 

79 

GOLDEN COMMON LISP 

495 

CALL 

INSIGHT 2 + 

485 

379 

MICROSOFT LISP 

250 

159 

SMALL TALK V 

99 

85 

TURBO PROLOG 

100 

65 

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS 



COMMAND PLUS 

80 

69 

DAN BRICKLIN’S DEMO 



PROGRAM 

75 

59 

FASTBACK 

175 

135 

LATTICE TEXT MGMT. UTIL. 

120 

89 

NORTON COMMANDER 

75 

55 

NORTON UTILITIES 

100 

59 

PDISK 

145 

89 

PFANTASY PACK 

995 

599 

POLYTRON PVCS 

CALL 

CALL 

SAPIENS V8 

300 

269 

SOURCE PRINT 

75 

69 

TREE DIAGRAMMER 

55 

50 

VENTURA PUBLISHER (XEROX) 

895 

695 

VENTURA PUBLISHER (TURBO) 

1595 

1249 



LIST 

OURS 

PASCAL COMPILERS 

MARSHALL PASCAL 

189 

169 

MICROSOFT PASCAL 

300 

185 

PASCAL-2 

350 

329 

386 PROFESSIONAL PASCAL 

895 

759 

TURBO PASCAL 

100 

65 

OTHER BORLAND 

CALL 

CALL 

TOOLS FOR TURBO PASCAL 

ALICE 

95 

69 

FIRSTIME 

75 

59 

FLASH-UP WINDOWS 

90 

79 

SCREENPLAY 

100 

89 

SCREEN SCULPTOR 

125 

95 

T-DEBUG PLUS 

60 

50 

TURBO ASM 

100 

85 

TURBO EXTENDER 

85 

65 

TURBO HALO 

129 

99 

TURBO PASCAL ASYNCH MGR 

100 

79 

TURBO PROFESSIONAL 

70 

49 

TURBO POWER TOOLS PLUS 

100 

79 

TURBO WINDOWS 

80 

65 

OTHER TURBO TOOLS 

CALL 

CALL 


NEW PRODUCTS 

Microport System V/AT — New release 2.2 of 
complete system has numerous enhancements, fast¬ 
er speed, improved documentation. Includes free 
Nutshell guide to UNIX and Sysvision, a user-friend¬ 
ly system administrator front end to UNIX. 

List $549 Ours $465 

Microsoft COBOL v. 2,2 —Latest release of GSA- 
certified COBOL compiler. Now includes Microsoft 
COBOL TOOLS with ViewCob, interactive symbolic 
debugger and COBOL cross-reference generator. 
List $700 Ours $439 

Periscope III — Real-time hardware breakpoint de¬ 
bugger. Find errors in real-time systems, stop 
intermittent failures, interface with undocumented 
systems and eliminate bottlenecks in your code. In¬ 
cludes board, break-out switch, software arid 
manual. 

List $995 Ours $825 

Turbo C — Long-awaited C compiler from Borland. 
Complete interactive development environment. 
ANSI C compatible; includes editor, MAKE, pull¬ 
down menus and windows. 

List $100 Ours $65 


BETTERBASIC 

199 

129 

BETTERBASICADD ONS 

CALL 

CALL 

BETTERTOOLS 

95 

89 

FINALLY 

99 

89 

MICROSOFT QUICKBASIC 

99 

65 

PROFESSIONAL BASIC 

99 

75 

PANEL-BASIC 

145 

115 

TRUE BASIC 

150 

105 

TURBO BASIC 

100 

65 

COBOL COMPILERS/UTILITIES 



MICROSOFT COBOL 

700 

439 

MICROSOFT SORT 

195 

129 

MICRO/SPF 

175 

155 

OPT-TECH SORT 

149 

115 

REALIA CICS 

995 

785 

REALIA COBOL 

995 

785 

REALIA MENU 

150 

119 

RM/COBOL 

950 

649 

RM/COBOL8X 

1250 

909 

SCREENIO 

400 

CALL 

SCREENPLAY 

175 

129 

SPII 

345 

279 

VISUAL COBOL (MBP) 

795 

695 

FORTRAN COMPILERS/UTILITIES 


LAHEYFORTRAN 

477 

CALL 

MICROSOFTFORTRAN 

450 

269 

RM/FORTRAN 

595 

389 

ACS TIMES SERIES 

495 

389 

87SFL 

250 

225 

FOR-WINDS 

90 

69 

FORLIB-PLUS 

70 

55 

FORTRAN SCIENTIFIC 



SUBROUTINES 

295 

249 

GRAFMATICS OR PLOTMATICS 

135 

119 

GRAFMATICS AND PLOTMATICS 

240 

219 

STRINGS AND THINGS 

70 

55 

XENIX/UNIX PRODUCTS 

SCO XENIX SYSTEM V-COMPLETE 

1295 

999 

MICROPORT SYSTEM V/AT 

549 

465 

OTHER SCO & MICROPORT 

CALL 

CALL 

ADVANTAGE C+ + 

695 

CALL 

BTRIEVE 

595 

465 

C-ISAM 

319 

285 

C-TREE 

395 

329 

INFORMIX 

CALL CALL 

MICROSOFT BASIC 

350 

239 

MICROSOFT COBOL 

995 

629 

MICROSOFTFORTRAN 

695 

439 

MICROSOFT PASCAL 

695 

439 

PANEL 

625 

535 

RM/COBOL 

1250 

949 

RM/FORTRAN 

750 

549 


OTHER LANGUAGES 

APL*PLUS 
JANUS/ADA PACKS 
LATTICE RPG II COMPILER 
LOGITECH MODULA-2 
PC FORTH 


595 4 29 

CALL CALL 
750 629 

CALL CALL 
150 109 


Programmer’s Paradise 

42 River Street, Tarrytown, NY 10591 


Terms and Policies 

• We honor MC, VISA, AMERICAN EXPRESS 

No surcharge on credit card or C.O.D. Prepayment by check. New York State residents add applicable 
sales tax. Shipping and handling $3.00 per item, sent UPS ground. Rush service available, prevailing rates. 

• Programmer’s Paradise will match any current nationally advertised price for the products listed in this ad. 

• Mention this ad when ordering—some items are specially priced. 

• Prices and Policies sutyect to change without notice. 

• Corporate and Dealer inquiries welcome. 

*Ask for details. Some manufacturers will not allow returns once disk seals are broken. 

1-800-445-7899 In NY: 914-332-4548 


Programmer’s 

nMoJR 



CIRCLE NO. 173 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



























AST Premium/286 Computer System 


Lightning Speed!! 

• 10 MHz, O wait-state 

•50% faster than IBM 8MHz IBM AT 
•Serial/Parallel Port 
•Clock/Calendar 
•Seven Expansion Slots 
•Floppy Drive 1.2MB 

• 1 MB of RAM 

•AST 3-G Plus multi-mode-graphics Adapter 

•MS-DOS/GW Basic 

•40 Megabyte 28ms Hard Drive 

System Includes:- cony 

•AST Premium/286 Model # 140 Otfi 

•AST Premium Monochrome Display 
•Epson LQ-1000 180 CPS Printer 
•Epson LQ-1000 Tractor Feed Option 
•Deluxe Shielded Printer Cable J 

•Box of 10 Maxell High Density Disks 
•Half Case of Green Bar 14 7/8 x 9 Paper 
•Half Case of White 9 1/2 x 11 Paper 
•Dust Covers for Computer & Printer 


NOW ONLY 
$3849 

List Price 
$4945 


Complete Ready-To-Run 

Other Configurations 
Available/ 

Ideal for Desktop 
Publishing 


Tandy 1000SX Super System 

System Includes: ______ „ 

•Tandy 1000SX with 640K of RAM NOW ONLY 
2 Floppy Drives 1 ocn 

Deskmate Software pluOv 

•Tandy CM-5 Color RGB Monitor _ 

•Tandy DMP-130 NLQ Printer Suggested List 

•Printer Cable. . 

•Table Top Printer Stand $ 1877 

•Package of Computer Paper 

•Box of 10 Maxell Diskettes SOVe OVet 

•Perfect Data Head Cleaning Kit $500 111 


- Complete Ready-To-Run System - 

Other Tandy Configurations Available! 


Epson LX-86 - = 

• 120 Characters per second 
•Column Width 80/ 

Condensed 132 
•Near Letter Quality Mode 
List $299 Now Only $239 


Epson FX-86E-- 

• 160 Characters per second 
•Column Width oO/ 

Condensed 132 
•Near Letter Quality Mode 
•IBM Proprinter Compatible 
List $549 Now Only $399 


Epson LQ-1000 — 

• 180 Characters per second 
•24 Wire print head 
•Near Letter Quality Mode 
•Column Width 136/ 

Condensed 233 

List $995 Now Only $749 


Epson LQ-2500 : = 

•324 Characters per second 
•24 Wire print head 
•Near Letter Quality Mode 
•Column Width 132/ 
Condensed 233 

List $1595 Now Only $1199 


ORDER TOLL FREE 800 - 526-5313 

NO-RISK 30-DAY SATISFACTION GUARANTEE If you’re not 100% 
satisfied with any Hardware or Accessories purchased hum CDA Computer 
Sales, we will refund your purchase price 100% no questions asked! 
FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT HOTLINE We support our customers with 
knowledgable technicians on all products we sell. A Technical Support 
Hotline is provided for all our customers. 

ORDER VIA MAIL - Write: CDA Computer Sales, 31 Marshall Hill Road, 
West Milford, New Jersey p7480. Please include full name, address, and 
phone number. 

ORDER VIA TELEPHONE - 1-800-526-5313 

ORDER VIA COMPUSERVE’S ELECTRONIC MALL - 24 hours a day! GO 

woe 

FREIGHT - UPS GROUND SHIPPING - Add 2% ($3.50 minimum). UPS 
BLUE LABEL SHIPPING - Add 5% (two-day delivery, $5.50 minimum). 
APO/FPO SHIPPING - Add 4% ($4.50 minimum). ALASKA, HAWAII, 
PUERTO RICO - Add 6% ($6.50 minimum). FOREIGN ORDERS - Please 
call. 

MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED - No additional charge! Cashiers 
Checks, Money Orders, Personal and Company checks accepted. NO COD’s 
please! 

In NJ. 201-728-8080 — Inquiries & Customer Service 201-728-8082 
Mon.-FrL 9-9 EST Sat. 10-4 EST 


CIRCLE NO. 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


IDVTF I 
CONNECTION INC. 

BOTTOM LINE 
PRICE BUST ECS! 

★ ★ ★ PERSONAL COMPUTERS ★ ★ ★ 

IBM XT (Enhanced). W/256K. 1 FI . K.B.$1095 

IBM AT, 256K. 1.2 Floppy. K.B.$2449 

IBM AT #339, 12 Floppy. IBM 30 MB. K B.$4095 

COMPAQ DESK PRO 286, (12 MH>.$2295 

COMPAQ DESK PRO 386. w/1 2 FL 40 MB... $4925 

SPERRY IT, W/640K. 12 Floppy. 40 MB. KB.. 

80287. DOS.$2995 

TOSHIBA PORTABLE 1100 PLUS.$1575 

AST 286. w/1 MB. 1.2 Floppy. Keyboard.$1649 

★ ★ ★ PLOTTERS ★ ★ ★ 

CALCOMP 1043 (A - E).$7095 

CALCOMP 1044 (A-E. Roll).$10997 

HI DMP 56A (A - E).$4595 

HI DMP 51/52 (C - D).$3575 

HI DMP 41 /42 (C - D).$2549 

HP Color Pro 7440 (A. 8).$ 995 

HP 7475 (A - B. 6 Pen).$1495 

HP Draft Pro 7570 (C - D. 8 Pen).$4495 

HP 7580B (A - D. 8 Pen).$8395 

IO LINE LP3700 (A - E).$3149 

IO LINE LP4000 (A-E).$4195 

ROLAND DXY - 990 (A - B. 8 Pen).$1599 


★ ★ ★ DIGITIZERS ★ ★ ★ 

CALCOMP 12x12 .$ 709 

CALCOMP 44 x 60 .$5099 

GTCO 12x12.$ 525 

GTCO 24x36 .$2450 

HITACHI 15x15 .$1395 

KURTA 12 x 12.$ 580 

KURTA 12x17 .$ 675 

SUMMAGRAPHICS 12x12 .$ 435 

SUMMAGRAPHICS 12x17 .$ 735 

★ ★ GRAPHIC CONTROLLERS & MONITORS * * 

NEC JC-1401 &GB- 1. (640 x480).$ 949 

MITSUBISHI 6922PLPK & ARTIST 1, 

(1024 x 7681).$3195 

HITACHI CM - 2073B & ARTIST 10/16.$4349 

Samsung EGA. Monitor & EGA Card.$ 649 

BNW 151 (1024 x 10241).$1245 

VMI 8825 (1024 x 800N).$2245 

ARTIST 10 (1024 x 768N).$2275 

PHOTON (1024 X512N) 800 4-.$ 975 


SPECIAL OF THE MONTH 
AST PREMIUM PUBLISHER SYSTEM 
w/40 MB HD, Monitor, Turbo Scanner, 
Laser Printer & Ventura S/W.$8595 


★ * ★ SOFTWARE# ★ ★ 

AUTOCAD 2.52.$2175 

COMPUTER ASSOCIATE (IUS) - 

A/R, A/P, G/L.l/G.EACH $ 385 

VENTURA Desktop Publishing S/W.$ 649 

★ ★ ★ PRINTERS ★ ★ ★ 

HEWLETT-PACKARD SERIES!.$1899 

HEWLETT-PACKARD 500 Plus.$3575 

OKIDATA LASER PRINTER.$1595 

NCR LASER PRINTER ..$1845 


CITIZEN 35.$ 535 

FUJITSU 2200 . $ 479 

NEC P6.$ 490 

OKIDATA 193 *.$ 550 

TOSHIBA P341e.$ 725 


★ ★ HARD DRIVES & BACK UP SYSTEMS ★ ★ 

MINISCRIBE 6053. 44 MB.$ 695 

HARD CARD Plus. 20 MB.$ 675 

SEAGATE 4096. 96 MB.$1395 

ARCHIVE 60MB TAPE B/U.$ 695 

CALL FOR WHAT IS NOT LISTED, 

WE GUARANTEE THAT YOUR CALL Wl LL NOT BE 


A WASTE. LEASING AVAILABLE. 

No charges for testing and configuring equipment. 
Prices and availability subject to change 
without notice. 

( 714 ) 778-6496 

Telex: 5101011636 
167 West Cerritos Ave. 
Anaheim, CA 92805 
Open 8 - 5 PST 


CIRCLE NO. 147 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


PC TECH JOURNAL 







































































? Stop buying technology that becomes obsolete tomor¬ 
row!. . .GCI finally gives you the power of expandability 
...TheCCI ST/28610MHz or CCI ST/28612MHz 'AT'. 
Includes: • Clock-calendar with battery bac 

■SKSSSSTMESSS; 

192 Watt power supply 80386 Upgrade From $80 1 


When the going gets tough, call in the speed and power 

of the CCI 80386 This Powerhouse Includes: 

Intel 32 bit 80386, at 14.2 MHz *3 eight-bit, 3 sixteen-bit and 

► 640K RAM and 1.2 Meg floppy 1 thirty-two bit expansion slot 

•Full 101 key enhanced keyboard nuiuAjkHAH 
•Serial and parallel ports IIIIIYC 

•Optional high-speed 80287 
? Norton Rating avg. 18.4 


Software Link’s PC—MOS 386 offers the speed and power of a 
$ 100.000 minicomputer in a desktop PC. It allows multi-tasking, 

B dates up to 25 users, and gives them access to up to 
abytes of memory. . .Includes: 

Dl ST/386 • Monographics adapter 

IB of RAM.1.2 Meg floppy • Monochrome Monitor 
1 key, enhanced keyboard • A high speed 44MB drive 
lerial and parallel port y ^ M 

•PC-MOS386 illY Q.A MIC 


UUI Computer Classifieds, Inc. 

17830 State Road 9, Miami, Florida 33162 
(305) 651-5853 Telex 510-600-7725 

Call Today (800) 331-5150 
In FL Call (305) 651-5853 
Support Line (305) 651-0073 

No charge for UPS ground shipping. No surcharge for MasterCard or Visa. Florida 
residents add 5 percent sales tax. *30-Day Guarantee-Call or write for details. 

All Trademarks Acknowledged. 

CIRCLE NO. 235 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


irnimimm: 

















Panasonic, 

OleleVideo 

cordata 

JHCKAMWEIL 

WYSE 286 


MULTI USER SYSTEMS 


DIGITIZERS 


Kurta 12x12 . 

$ 454 

Hitachi . 

CALL 

Houston Instruments. 

CALL 

Cal Comp. 

CALL 

Summagraphics 12x12 . . . . 

. . 409 

ELECTRONIC DIGITIZING 

CAMERA & SOFTWARE 


PLOTTERS 

DM P-29 . 

$ 1699 

DMP-41/42 . 

. . 2439 

DM P-51/52 . 

. . 3650 

DMP-51/52 MP . 

. . 4199 

DM P-40 . 

... 950 

DM P-56 A . 

. . 4599 

Roland DXY-880 . 

. CALL 

Roland DXY-980 . 

. CALL 

Calcomp 

1041 GT . 

. . 5729 

1041 GTOW/Plot Mgr ... 

. . 6169 

1042 GTW/Plot Mgr .... 

. . 8729 

1043 GTW/Plot Mgr . . . . 

. . 7849 

1044 GTW/Plot Mgr . . . . 

. 12249 

loline . 

. CALL 

Plotter Software . 

. CALL 


[GE31 


UNISYS 


LASER PRINTERS 
OPTICAL SCANNER 
CAD & DESKTOP 
PUBLISHING 

PRINTERS 

CITIZEN 


120-D-- . . 

120 CPS 

.. $185 

MSP-10 . 

.160 CPS 

. . 287 

MSP-15 . 

160 CPS 

. . 379 

MSP-20 . 

200 CPS 

. . 329 

MSP-25 . 

200 CPS 

. . 495 

Premier . 

35 CPS 

. . 485 

PANASONIC 


KXP 10801 ... 

120 CPS 

. . $219 

KXP 1091 I . . . 

160 CPS 

. . 275 

KXP 1092I ... 

240 CPS 

. . 357 

KXP 1592 . . . . 

180 CPS 

. . 420 

KXP 1595 . . . . 

240 CPS 

. . 551 

KXP 3131 . . . . 

17 CPS 

. . 259 

KXP 3151 . . . . 

22 CPS 

. . 395 

All NEC Printers 


. CALL 

All Okidata . . . 


. CALL 

Fujitsu . 


. CALL 

Canon . 


. CALL 

Alps. 


. CALL 

Seikosha. 


. CALL 

C. Itoh . 


. CALL 

Star . 


. CALL 


Scottsdale Systems 

617 N. Scorrsdale Rd„ Scotrsdole. AZ 65257 

602-941-5856 1-800-367-2369 

For Inquiries Since 1980 For Orders 


CIRCLE NO. 127 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



A database system is the heart of just about every 
successful! software package ! Accounting systems, 
Mailing programs, Analysis software, plus many other 
types of packages have reaped the benefits of a database. 

NOW you too can utilize a sophisticated B+Tree 
database for your programming needs. Whether you 
program in Assembler, C, PASCAL, or FORTRAN, you can 
have all the advanced capabilities of asmTREE at your 
finger tips. asmTREE is written in assembly language for 
fast execution and small code size - for the DOS 2.xx or 
newer environment. 

ISAM Functions - NO ROYALTIES - Full SOURCE CODE 
asmTREE™ - The Programmer's Database 
Only $395.00 - complete 


Other fine development tools - 

•ASMLIB - The Programmer's Library - Over 210 functions for Assembler, c, 

PASCAL, and FORTRAN. NO ROYALTIES. With SOURCE CODE .$149 

•FPLIB - IEEE FLoating Point for REALIA" COBOL .$149 

•Turbo.ASM - Assembly Langauge interfacing made easy for TURBO PASCAL ... 
$99.95 


CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-262-8010 

in calif. CALL 1-714-526-5151 

BC Associates 

-g- 3261 N. Harbor Blvd - Suite B 

Fullerton, CA 92635 


PC XT /AT ADD-ON BOARDS 

MS DOS/QW Basic 3.2.$80 

XT Mother Board/Bios.$83 

XT Turbo Board/Bios.$103 

Monochrome/Graphic/Printer Card . . . $66 

Monochrome Graphic Card.$60 

Color Graphic/Printer Card.$60 

Color Graphic Card.$50 

XT Multi I/O Card.$73 

XT I/O Plus II.$45 

Floppy Disk Controller 

1 port.$25 

2 port.$33 

RS232 Interface Card 

1 port.$22 

2 port.$27 

Parallel Printer Card.$19 

Clock Card.$25 

Game Card.$18 

Hard Disk Controller Card.$100 

Hard Disk/Floppy Disk Controller Card $123 

XT 2 MB RAM Card.$195 

AT Mother Board/Bios.$490 

AT 3 MB Multifunction Card.$178 

AT 4 MB RAM Card.$210 

AT 1.2M Floppy Disk Card.$72 

EGA Card.$245 

AT HDC/FDC Controller w/Cable.$215 


KEYBOARDS 

5151 Style AT/XT Keyboard.$68 

747 AT Style AT/XT Keyboard.$53 


POWER SUPPLY 

150 Watt XT Power Supply.$53 

200 Watt AT Power Supply.$85 


(201) 944-5002 
2142 N. Hudson St. 
Fort Lee, NJ 07024 

IBM PC, IBM XT and IBM AT are trademarks 
OP IBM corpratlon. 

MS-DOS Is a trademark of Microsoft 
Corporation. 

Prices Subject to Change without Notice. I 


MONITORS 

M PARCO (Sony) 

Height Resolution 

■ 12 "90° Monitor 800 

■ ^ x 700 Lines With 

Mon-Glare 
Screen/Swivels 
, Base Amber. $115 

• SAMSUHQ - Amber.$79 

• TAXAH 620 Color.$375 

• TAXAH 630 Super HI-Res. Color.$445 

• TAXAH 640 Super Hi-Res. Color.$495 

• TAXAH 760 EGA Monitor.$499 

PRINTERS 

• RITEMAH PLUS (120 cps. 80 col.).$175 

• RITEMAH -15 (160 cps. 136 col.).$345 

• BROTHER M1509 (180 cps. 136 col.) . . . $395 

DRIVES 

• TEAC 360K Floppy Drive.$90 

• FUJISU 360K Floppy Drive.$82 

• CHIHOH 360K Floppy Drive.$85 

• 20MB Hard Dlsk/WD.$Call 

• 30MB Hard Disk/WD.$Call 

• 1.2MB TEAC AT Drive.$135 

CHASSIS 

• Flip Top XT Case.$29 

• Slide Off XT Case.$36 

• AT Jr. Style XT Case.$37 

• AT Case.$85 

All Cases Include Speaker/Hardware 
MODEMS 

• Internal Modem-Everex.$137 

Select 300/1200 bps, powerful BltCom 

Communication Software included. Auto 
answer/dlal. 

• External Modem-Smarteam.$160 


PC/AT 2000 SYSTEM 


• 80286 Processor (6/8MHZ) 

• 1024K RAM 

• 1.2MB Floppy Disk Drive 

• AT Hard Disk/Floppy Disk Controller Card 

• Clock/Calendar with Batter Backup 

• AT Style Keyboard 

• 200W Power Supply/Case 

• Runs All Major Software 

• Six Month Warranty 

$1249 

PC/XT 2000 SYSTEM 


• 640K RAM 

• 360K Half Height Floppy Drive 
w/Controller 

• AT Style Keyboard 

• 150W Power Supply 

• Slide Off Case 

• Runs All Major Software 

• Six Month Warranty 

$495 


ORDER TOLL FREE: 

1 - 800 - 367-1132 

MONDAY — SATURDAY 9AM — 6PM EST. 

SUNNYTECH INC 


Customer Service 
(201) 944-5010 
9AM - 5PM EST. M-F 


ORDERS SHIPPED UPS COD 
WITHIH 24 HRS. 


CIRCLE NO. 184 ON READER SERVICE CARD 












































































































Technical Support and Shipping and Receiving 
(703) 761-6177, 78 
ITS TEK-NET-BBS (703) 690-7462 


Visa, MC, CHOICE, AE 
Leasing, Renting & 
Financing available 


Open 7 days a week 
(703) 847-4740 (800) 642-2395 
Information and Technology Services, Inc, 

Micro Systems Specialists 
8478A Tyco Rd., Vienna, VA 22180 

Drives 


‘Editor’s Choice 


ITS Turbo XT 

1 year warranty 
30 day 
money back 
guarantee 

f] The $895 ITS 
m Turbo XT from 

Information and 
Technology Services 
, is our “best buy” 

v recommendation 

with 20MB $1224.00 


‘Serving the Nation’s Capitol 
and the World” 

Software 


Printers 


20 MB SEAGATE 65MS $399 

30 MB SEAGATE RLL $499 

20 MB ST4026 AT $573 

30 MB ST4038 AT $651 

40 MB ST4051 AT $792 

80 MB ST4096 AT $1273 

40MB PRIAM XT $1395 

60MB PRIAM XT $1450 

40MB PRIAM AT $1175 

60MB PRIAM AT $1350 

BERNOULLI DUAL 10 $1939 

BERNOULLI DUAL 20 $2594 

20MB PLUS HARDCARD $695 
20MB MAYNARD HCARD $759 
ISI WORM 220MB INT. $3295 

TEAC360K DRIVE $89 

60MB ARCHIVE TAPE $ 740 

60MB ARCH. EXT. TAPE $740 

60MB GENOA TAPE $935 

60MB SYSGEN $1089 

TOSHIBA 3.5 DRIVE $150 

TOSHIBA 10 MB DRIVE $899 

•TOSHIBA 5.25 EXT. $349 


$480 
$685 
$1122 
$1245 I : 
$235 
$299 : 
$360 ! 
$480 
$189 
$383 
$445 
$537 
$699 
$355 
$255 
$440 
$320 
$435 
$485 
$835 
$1227 
$1239 / 
$413 I 
$253 /| 
$412 u 
$613 
$713 
$1976 
$624 
$285 
$434 
$631 


SUPERCALC 4 
SUPERPROJECT + 
WORDPERFECT 4.2 
DBASE 3 + 
FOXBASE + 
FRAMEWORK II 
RBASE 5000 
RBASE SYSTEM V 
CROSSTALK XVI 
REFLEX 
TURBO PASCAL 
TURBO PROLOG 
TURBO LIGHTNING 
NORTON UTILITIES 
MS WINDOWS 
MS QUICKBASIC 
MS C-COMPILER 
MS WORD 
WORDSTAR 2000 
MULTIMATE 


NEC P-6 
NEC P-7 
NEC P-5 
NEC P-5XL 
PANASONIC 1080 I 
PANASONIC 1091 I 
PANASONIC 1092 
PANASONIC 1592 
STAR LV1210 
STAR NX-15 
STAR ND-15 
STAR NR-15 
STAR NB 24-15 
STAR SD-10 
STAR NX-10 
BROTHER 1509 
CITIZEN MSP-10 
CITIZEN MSP-15 
CITIZEN PREMIER 35 
TOSHIBA P341 
TOSHIBA P351 
FUJITSU DLP24 
FUJITSU DM9I 
OKDATA M182 
OKIDATA M192 + 
OKIDATA M193 + 
OKDATA M84 
OKIDATA 2410- 
EPSON FX-286 
EPSON LX-80 
EPSON FX-85 
EPSON LQ-800 


PC MAGAZINE 
OCT. 14, 1986 
IBM® PC Compatible 


complete 


Superior to the IBM AT 
Z* Rated 8.8 by InfoWorld 

44MB, 28ms Access Hard Drive 
3 Speed Processor 
Free 8MHz Math Coprocessor 
1.2MB Floppy , 640K Ram 
2 Serial/1 Parallel Ports 
Clock/Calendar, AT Keyboard 
DOS 3.1, Basic, System Guide 
oo 1 year warranty 


Easy Business 


Accounting Systems 


Memory Boards 


GENERAL LEDGER $395 

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLI $395 

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE $395 

INV. CONTROL $395 

RETAIL INVOICING $395 

PAYROLL $458 

ORDER ENTRY $395 

TIME, BILLING & REC. $635 


JRAM2 $129 

JRAM 3 ABOVEBOARD $179 

JRAM AT $179 

JRAM AT3 ABOVEBOARD $239 
JLASER MODULE $265 

J LASER + AVAIL. 

INTEL ABOVEBOARD $438 

AST RAMPAGE 512K $485 

ORCHD CRAMRAM $291 

ZUCKER BOARD $68 

AST 6 PAK + W/384 $199 

QUADBOARD W/384 $189 


Laser Printers 


Video Cards 


CANON A1 
CANAON A2 
HP LASERJET 
QMS KISS 
XEROX 4045 


ITS 

SYSTEM 386 
BLACKHAWK 


QUAD EGA + 
PARADISE AUTO 
SWITCH 
STB EGA 
TECHMAR EGA 
VEGA DELUXE 


64K 150ns set of 9 
64K 120ns set of 9 
256K/150ns set of 9 
256K/120ns set of 9 
64x4 

128K Piggyback 
8087-3 
8087-8 
80287 5MHz 
80287 6MHz 
80287 8MHz 


Specials 


Features: 

• INTEL 80386 CPU and support circuits 

• INTEL designed motherboard 

• Phoenix BIOS 

• 18 Mhz clock speed 

• PC/AT compatible 8 Mhz switchable 
from keyboard 

• 512K RAM standard up to 14 megabytes 
•Parallel/Serial/Clock 

• 8 Slot Expansion bus interface 

2- PC Compatible 8 bit bus connectors 
2-32 bit bus connectors 

• Hard disk/Floppy disk controDer 

• 1.2 megabyte floppy 


NOVELL 

NETWORKING 


DESIGN & 
INSTALLATION 


Available now 


Prices subject to change 
12/18/86 
10% re-stock fee 
on all items 


Software non-returnable 
if opened 

No surcharge on VISA, MC, 
CHOICE.. .AE, 3% 


TOSHIBA Lap-Top 
T-1100 Plus JK 

(DUAL FLOPPY) 


1800 + 


• 256K Ram Memory 

• CMOS 80C86 Run- iZc 
ning at 7.1 MHz • Two 

720K 3.5" Floppy Drives 

• One Expansion Slot • 

TOSHIBA Keyboard • LCD Display 

• Color Graphics/Monochrome Composite 

Card • One Parallel and Serial Port • Clock Calendar 

• External Floppy Drives Optional • DOS 2.1 


IBM AT Compatible 
512K of RAM 
expandable to 1MB 
1.2MB Floppy 
AT Keyboard 
Documentation and 
Diagnostics 
Made in the USA 


1195 


Color RGB Mon. 

$305 

Amdek310A 

$150 

TEAC 360 Drive 

$89 

Samsung Monitor 

$89 

Amdek 722 

$549 

NEC Multi-Sync 

$631 

* *Other Systems 


Sharp PC 7000 

$1095 

IBM XT 

$1798 

IBM AT 

$2789 

BIOS AT 8MHZ 

$1769 


CIRCLE NO. 134 ON READER SERVICE CARD 








CANADA'S SOURCE 
FORC 


Compilers • Utilities & Aids • Editors 
Interpreters • De-Bugging Tools 
File Access Systems • Graphics 


IVZ7ISC 



0 ^ hS 

Complete Line of Programming Development Tools 
Full Service and Support - Fast Delivery 

|H1H| corporate DISCOUNTS 

(416) 449-9252/5 

SCANTEL SYSTEMS LTD. 

801 YORK MILLS RD., 201, DON MILLS, ONT M3B 1X7 


CIRCLE NO. 240 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


TOLL FREE 
TZW ORDER LINE 

r 800-258-0028 

FOR INFORMATION CALL 

616 - 452-3457 



3M 

& 


Diskettes 


AMARAY UNIVERSAL 
PRINTER STAND+ 


F t 5V4” diskettes 

SSDDRH.$ .76 Each 

DSDDRH. 85 Each 

DSHD 96TPI. $ 1.76 Each 

3V2” DISKETTES 
SS MICRO. $1.15 Each 

DS MICRO 1.66 Each Adaptable for standard or wide 

- carriage printers. 

DSHD (2.0 MB ) $5.25 Each Handles over 500 sheets of con- 

DDIAJTCD DIDDDUQ tinuous form paper, 

rnin I cn nlDDUNo All components interlock easily 

Quality replacements for most popular printers into a rigid, structurally sound 

Min/6 assembly. 

Applelmagewriter .$3.95 ea. Foam pads absorb vibrations 

Apple Scribe .$3.95 ea. and „ 

Epson LX 80/90.$2.95 ea. $11.95 EACH 

Okidata 80/82/83 .$1.49 ea. Plus $2.00 S & H 

Min. Order $25.00. Add 10% for less than 50 disks. S&H: Continental USA 
$4.00/100 or fewer disks. $2.00 per dozen ribbons. Reduced shipping charge on 
largerquantities. Foreign orders, APO/FPO, please call. Ml residents add 4% tax. 
Prices subject to change without notice. Hours: 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM ET. 

I I Precision Data Products™ n^p=^ _ 

nn P O. Box 8.167. Grand Rapids. Ml 49518 L. A ^ ■■■ 

lllr^^ 4 I Customer Service & Information: (616) 452-3457 V. w J 

( ;| Toll Free Order Lines: Ml 1-800-632-2468 

lllltM III! Outside Ml 1-800-258-0028 



CIRCLE NO. 247 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



MEGAMEMORY AND 
DESKTOP PUDLISHING 


Lowest Prices In USA 

Fully Populated 2MB Boards 
Made by Tall Tree Systems 

HIGHEST QUALITY RAM CHIPS 

JRAM-2.$319 

JRAM-3 LOTUS-INTEL.$389 

JRAM-AT.$389 

JLaser-PlusPCI .$675 

1 MB DRAM (100 NS) .CALL 


SUPER SPECIAL 


QMS KISS/JLASER+ PC. 

. $2575 

CANON IX-12 Scanner . 

. $ 795 

Dr. HaloDPE . 

. $ 129 

Ventura Publisher . 

.CALL 



THE RAM EXPLOSION 

5119A Leesburg Pike, Suite 260 
Falls Church, VA 22041 

( 703 ) 569-4471 

Dealer Inquiries Invited 
VISA/MASTERCARD 
An Authorized TALL TREE DEALER 


CIRCLE NO. 171 ON READER SERVICE CARD 

C 

V_^omplete 
your library of 
PC TECH JOURNAL 

Just send $7.00 I Snvgi 

for each back | 1 tlb-J 

issue ordered rSSfi 
($8.00 in Canada, TBKd 
U.S. funds only) 'JOURNAL 

to: 

K. Armstrong 
PC Tech Journal 
Magazine 

Ziff-Davis m 

Publishing Co. L—-- 

One Park Avenue 4th Floor 
New York, NY 10016. 

Be sure to include month and 
year of the issue ordered. 


rMo 

;OJ®AL 


210 


























TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES F OR THE MS DOS MARKET 


PRODUCT CATEGORIES 


HARDWARE 212-213 

ACCESSORY CARDS.212-213 

COOLING DEVICES. 

COMMUNICATIONS.213 

COMPATIBLES. 

GENERAL.213 

MASS STORAGE. 

PERIPHERALS.213 

SECURITY DEVICES. 

USED EQUIPMENT. 


SOFTWARE continued 


OPERATING SYSTEMS.215 

PROGRAMMERS TOOLS .215-217 

PUBLIC DOMAIN.217 

SCIENTIFIC.217 

SECURITY DEVICES.218 

STATISTICS.218 

TERMINAL EMULATION.218 

UTILITIES.218-221 

WORD PROCESSING. 


SOFTWARE 214-221 

ACCESSORIES/SUPPLIES.214 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. 

BUSINESS.214 

COMMUNICATIONS.214 

DATA BASE MANAGEMENT. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

ENGINEERING.214 

EXPERT SYSTEMS. 

FINANCIAL. 

GENERAL.214 

GRAPHICS.214 

LANGUAGES.215 

MULTI/USER SYSTEMS. 

NETWORKING. 


MISCELLANEOUS 

221 

BAR CODING. 

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES . . . 

PUBLICATIONS. 

.... 221 

.... 221 


Advertising Rates and Information: 

PC Tech Journal Marketplace 

PC Tech Journal Marketplace is a special 
economical section for product and service 
listings. 

Listings are grouped by category and sold by 
column inches. Second color option 
available. 

Standard Directory Listings are also available 
for a minimum of 3 issues at $170 per issue 
($510 total). 

For additional information 
call 212-503-5115. 


PC Tech Journal Classified Advertising Staff 
One Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016 
(212) 503-5115 


Advertising Director 
Kathryn J. Cumberlander 
Sales Manager 
Daniel L. Rosensweig 
Sr. Advertising Coordinator 
Monica Dixon 
Advertising Coordinator 
Angela Kiffin 


Sales Assistant 
Linda Annis 

Production Manager 
Anne R. Brockinton 
(212) 503-5441 

Production Coordinator 
Elliot Appel 
(212) 503-5470 


Account Managers 

Stanley H. Robinson (212) 503-5116 

AL, AR, IA, IL, IN, KS. KY, AZ, CO, OR, NM, LA, 

MI, MN, MO. MS, NB, ND, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, NV, 
AK, GA, UT. CA (ZIP 92999 & DOWN), CANADA 
(OTHER THAN BRITISH COL.) AND ALL OVERSEAS 
CALLS. 


Lisa B. Stick (212) 503-5172 

CT, MA, ME. NH, NJ, NY, RI. ID, MT. MD, VT, DC, 
DE. HI, NC, SC, FL, VA, WV, WI. PA, WA, WY, CA 
(ZIP 93000 & UP) BRITISH COL. 


JUNE 1987 


211 






















































HARDWARE/ACCESSORY CARDS 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


Hardware 


Accessory Cards 


PC-PROMPAK 
ROM Expansion for PC! 

Aldia systems introduces PC-PROMPAK, a “half- 
sized" PROM/ROM expansion board for IBM and 
IBM compatible PCs. PC-PROMPAK will sup¬ 
port up to six 28-pin JEDEC compatible devices 
(ex: 2764,27128,27256,27512,6264, etc.) with 
individually selectable address ranges. Prices 
start at $125 for single units. Quantity discounts 
and OEM arrangements available. MC/VISA. 
ALDIA SYSTEMS, Inc. 

PO. Box 37634 
Phoenix, AZ 85069 
(602)866-1786 


a g i n g! 


*295°° 

— complete — 



=IMAGE ACE 11= 

Video Capture System 

• Digitize video from cameras, 
tuners, and VCRs directly to 
your IBM PC display 

• 320 x 200 x 4 levels 

• 1.3 sec. full screen capture 

• Complete with hardware card, 
software, cable, and manual 

lodGE P lECTRONiCS 


P.O. Box 338 • Streamwood, IL 60103 

= (312) 837-6553= 

CIRCLE 265 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



the high performance 

Speedlnjector from Ariel 

— 

_ " — a fiiitu ^ntnmQtir. Sni 




HEs: 


® A fully automatic Speedlnjector 
for all IBM ATs including speed 
limiting ROM BIOS. Uses reliable 
206 / 2 s v frequency synthesis for total 

. IrSS 

16 The C totest80287speedstvailable .(mOI- 

| With The XCELX ^fEL^SsT Speedup ItaKrl Correct floppy 
I will » Display exact .XCEU speeds » Speedup (m02 -S) S139.95 

oj (Suggested dealeMnstalkitiorfcharge $49.95) ' 

FAST 80286-10 - Replacement CPU for speeds of ,# CU1 . A ) $259.95 

C; \ 10 MHz and above. *' 

FAST 80287 - 8,10,12,14 and 16. Speeds test. ^ $ C all 

rated & guaranteed. /mrpd SCall 

FAST RAM 128K & 256K, 100NS & 120NS .( 

mil SPEC CRYSTALS — The Famous Ariel Crystals. Choose from ( rys a 
^ CPU speed) 16/8,17/8.5,18/9,19/9.5, $19.95 

INCREASE OVERALL SPEED UP TO 300% 

Order Line: 

800-641-3322 ext mo 

Direct Line: 

201-788-9002 

FULL 2-YEAR WARRANTY 
ON ALL PRODUCTS 



COMPUTER CORPORATION' 


Ariel Computer Corporation 
Post Office Box 866 a Flemington, NJ 08822 

CIRCLE 267 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



The TurboMax is an accelerator board 
which increases your Leading Edge, IBM 
PC/XT. and clones to 9.54MHz optimizing 
performance, while maintaining \00% 
compatability with all hardware and | 
software. 

FEATURES: * No expansion slot required 
* Totally “transparent” to system and user 
- no DOS patches * Speeds up operation of 
the new high capacity memory boards and 

_ TurboMax high resolution graphic boards * No 

modification to hardware or software 

SPECIFICATIONS: * CPU 10MHz 8088 running at 9.54MHz in high speed 
mode. 4.77MHz in normal mode.. 

PERFORMANCE COMPARISON 

The table below compares the performance of the TurboMax with other products. 
The PC Magazine Laboratories Bench Mark Tests were selected because of their 
well-known accuracy. The numbers indicate speed relative to a “stock” IBM pc. 
For example, factor of 1.67 in a category means the system is running 1.67 times 
faster than a stock pc. 



***TurboMax 

Surprise 

fast 88 

Test ft\: NOP executive spanning 128K 

1.67 

1.31 

1.43 

Test ft2: “do nothing” 1 NOP loop 

1.80 

1.59 

1.53 

Test ft3: Integer add from memory 

1.85 

1.53 

1.56 

Test #4: Integer multiply from memory 

3.13 

2.80 

2.64 

Test ft 5: Floating point without 8087 

1.97 

1.59 

1.66 

Test ft6: Floating point with 8087 

OTHER COMPARISONS: 

*1.95 

— 

**1.43 

Norton Utilties SYSINFO index 

3.2 

2.8 

2.6 

High speed copy and format? 

yes 

yes 

no 


* requires optional 8087-1 10MHz math co-processor chip 
** requires optional 8087-2 8MHz math co-processor chip 
** Formerly Supercharger 


ONLY $279.00 COMPLETE 

Visa, MC, COD, and Checks Accepted 
Full 1 Yr. Warranty 


Order Desk: Tel. 1-800-443-2217 
Service And Info. (412) 882-6700 
30 Day Money Back Guarantee 


K & L DISTRIBUTORS Inc. 

3 Munsey Ave. • Pittsburgh, PA 15227 


Dealer Inquiries Welcomed 
CIRCLE 270 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR 

The Model 10 coprocessor board is based on the 
16/32 bit Tl TMS 32010 and is designed for ap¬ 
plications in communications, speech, instru¬ 
mentation, and numeric processing. A IK 
complex FFT takes 90ms. Offered with onboard 
12 bit 80 Khz A/D and D/A. Includes all utility 
and applications software. $650-$850. 
DALANC0SPRY 

Suite 241 2900 Connecticut Ave. NW 
Washington, DC 20008 
(202)232-7999 


PC ANALYZER 

Real-Time debugging package for your PC or XT. 
Complete with board and debugging software. 
Also allows you to use your own software de¬ 
bugger. Nonintrusive operation, simple to in¬ 
stall. Operates with DOS & QNX. Price $995. 
Free shipping. 

S0FPAK TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 

215 Stafford Road, Unit 101 
Ottawa, Canada K2H 9C1 
(613)726-1908 


I.C.s and Memory Boards 


41256 150/ 120/ 100 ns.2.15/ 2.30/ 2.95 

4128 150 ns (for IBM AT).3.25 

4164 150/ 120 ns.75/ .85 

41464 120ns (64K x 4 . . . 18 pins).2.85 

511000 120 ns (1 Meg).35.00 

51258 120/ 100 ns (for Compac 386).4.20 

6264 120ns Static (28 Pins).2.75 

43256/ 62256 100 ns Static.12.00 

(Prices listed above are for 100 pcs.) 

2764/ 27128/ 27256 available. Call 

8087-3.99.00/ 8087-2. 145.00 

80287-6.175.00/ 80287-8. 239.00 

V-20 5/ 8 MHz. (9 pcs) .8.50 

V-30 8 MHz. (9 pcs) .11.50 


JRAM-3 or JRAM AT w/ 2MB. 329.00 

JRAM AT-3 w/ 2MB. 382.00 

CLASSIC 286 SPEED PAK (8 MHz w/1 MB).... 695.00 


ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS CORP. 

11141 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring MD 20902 
Phone: 301-933-3523 / FAX: 301-933-3643 

CIRCLE 266 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Tech Marketplace. . . 

the comprehensive 
guide to products and 
services for the MS 
DOS market. 


212 


PC TECH JOURNAL 

























































































HARDWARE/ACCESSORY CARDS—PERIPHERALS 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


Hardware/Accessory Cards General Peripherals 


TOTAL CONTROL OF ALL YOUR 
FILES 

EASYPATH. The Cadillac of hard disk manage¬ 
ment systems. 

—Especially for programmers and power 
users— 

EasyPath fills the void in DOS by allowing com¬ 
plete access to all your hard disk files. 

.EasyPath Lets You. 

• Access and file from any subdirectory 

• Redirect file retrieval or file storage 

• Execute any program from any subdirectory 

• Specify pathing for COM, EXE and all other files. 

• Locate any file anywhere on your hard disk 

• Find files by name or attribute 

• Change attributes of files 

• Pipe files to RAM disks 

• Search for or redirect files by name, extension, 
attribute, subdirectory or other means. 

• Use wildcards and global filenames. 

EasyPath comes with pre-configured BAT files 
for most major programs, a complete user’s 
guide, and online help. 


“Great program!"—Woody Liswood, The source. 
Now at a new price of $59.95 directly from: 



ISOGOIM 

CORPORATION 


ISOGON CORPORATION 
330 Seventh Avenue 
New York, New York 10001 
212-967-2424 


PC-SPRINT 


One of the only slotless 

speedups chosen by PC 

Magazine. 

• Run your PC, XT or clone 
at 738 mhz. 

• 280% Speedup (Norton 
SI rating) 

• Speeds up all software— 
you can see the difference 

• External speed switch 

• External reset button 

• Change speed “on the fly” 

• Compatible with 8087 

• Works with all color or 
mono displays 

• “Slotless” plug-in on most 
PCs 

• Includes: Selectable top 
speed, instructions, war¬ 
ranty , tool, remote mount 
switch, free BBS 
subscription 

$ QQ 95 V20 add $10. Call for infor- 
mation on other products 


Exec-PC, Inc. 

P.O. Box 11268 Shorewood, WI53211 


( 414 ) 242-2173 F=EB 


CIRCLE 269 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



Communications 


M5MLEVEL 


P.O. BOX 1808 
EASLEY, SC 29641 
(803) 855-1581 


CIRCLE 285 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


FOUR PORT RS-232 
WITH SOFTWARE . . $349 


OTHERPRODUCTS 

• RS-422/485 SERIAL 

INTERFACE. S149 

• RS-232/422 WITH 24 
PARALLEL I/O... S199 

• RS-422 SYNCHRO¬ 
NOUS WITH 

DMA. $299 

• DELIVERY FROM 
STOCK 

• CUSTOM DESIGNS 
AVAILABLE 


VIDEO LAN‘LINK SYSTEM’® 

FOR IBM, PC, PC/XT, PC/AT labs. Instructor has 
complete control of all trainee computer moni¬ 
tors. Instructor can 1) transmit image, 2) receive 
trainee image or 3) transmit any trainee image 
to any/all trainees. Color or mono. Software in¬ 
dependent. Increases instructor efficiency and 
trainee comprehension. 

APPLIED COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC. 

3060 Johnstown-Utica Road 
Johnstown, OH 43031 
1-800-237-LINK 


Peripherals 


EPR0M/EEPR0M PROGRAMMER 

Programs 2716-27512, 25xx, 68764/66 eproms 
via RS-232. Also 874x, micros, 28xxA & 52Bxx 
eeproms. Automatic Baud rate select, built in 
menus, no personality modules. Price: $250. 
Mention this ad for free terminal software. 16 BIT 
I/O MODULE $75 

For control of input or output lines via RS-232. 
Use with modems for remote control. 
INTELLITRONICS 
P.O. Box 3263; 

Tustin, CA 92680 
(714)669-0614 


CREATE A DISKLESS PC! 

PC-R0MDRIVE allows users to create a “Disk¬ 
less PC" capable of booting a ROM-resident copy 
of MS-DOS and/or user application programs. 
PC-R0MDRIVE consists of a PC-compatibie 
R0M/PR0M expansion board and the PC- 
R0MDRIVE software. PC-R0MDRIVE is priced 
at $195 for single units. Quantity discounts and 
OEM arrangements available. MC/VISA 
ALDIA SYSTEMS, Inc. 

P.O. Box 37634 
Phoenix, Az. 85069 
(602)866-1786 


^$^9 TRACK 
TAPE SYSTEM 



• Mainframe to PC Data Transfer 

• High Speed Backup 

• All Software, Complete System 

• Service and Support, easy 
Installation 

call ( 818 ) 343-6505 or write to: 

Contech Computer Corp. 

P.O. Box 153 Tarzana, Calif. 91356 


CONTECH 


CIRCLE 271 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


SPEECH SYNTHESIS 

SynPhonix: TRUE Unlimited Speech Synthesiz¬ 
er for IBM-PC/XT/AT/jr & compatibles. This low 
power short card includes an SSi263 speech 
chip, amplifier and speaker. Software includes 
Text-to-Speech, Phonetic Editor, Talking Clock 
& demos. Can be programmed with BASIC and 
other languages. Prices start below $200. 

S vnPhonix 

Electronic Speech Articulator 

Artie Technologies 
1311 N. Main St. 

Clawson, Ml 48017 
(313)435-4222 


PRODUCT 

CATEGORIES 

HARDWARE 

ACCESSORY CARDS 
COOLING DEVICES 
COMMUNICATIONS 
COMPATIBLES 
GENERAL 
MASS STORAGE 
PERIPHERALS 
SECURITY DEVICES 
USED EQUIPMENT 

SOFTWARE 

ACCESSORIES/SUPPLIES 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 

BUSINESS 

COMMUNICATIONS 

DATA BASE MANAGEMENT 

EDUCATIONAL 

ENGINEERING 

EXPERT SYSTEMS 

FINANCIAL 

GENERAL 

GRAPHICS 

LANGUAGES 

MULTI/USER SYSTEMS 

NETWORKING 

OPERATING SYSTEMS 

PROGRAMMERS TOOLS 

PUBLIC DOMAIN 

SCIENTIFIC 

SECURITY DEVICES 

STATISTICS 

TERMINAL EMULATION 
UTILITIES 

WORD PROCESSING 

MISCELLANEOUS 

BAR CODING 

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 
PUBLICATIONS 


JUNE 1987 


213 



























































SOFTWARE/ACCESSORIES SUPPLIES—GRAPHICS 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


Software/ Accessories-Supplies 


Engineering 


Graphics 


DISK 

COPIER 


■J 


Fast (one minute) 
Simple (one button) 

Reliable (one board) 
$995 (one price) 



275 Santa Ana Ct„ Sunnyvale, CA 94086 
(408) 737-8441 

CIRCLE 290 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Business 


TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH 

TSA88 Transportation Simplex Algorithm 

(up to 510 sources, sinks or trans¬ 
shipment points) 

TNET88 Transportation Network System (net¬ 
works up to 510 nodes & 16K links) 
TPR088 Transportation Problem Solver 

(shortest path, tours up to 50 stops) 
Req. 192K, color graphics adaptor. $99 each w/ 
8087 support, User's guide. Write or call for our 
brochure. 

EASTERN SOFTWARE PRODUCTS INC. 

P.0. Box 15328, 

Alexandria, VA 22309 
(703)549-5469 

Auto-Pilot™ 

Put your responsibilities on Auto-Pilot: ToDo list, 
sophisticated Tickler file, appointment calendar. 
Tracks employee assignments/action items. 
Windows display future, present, and uncom¬ 
pleted past events. Multi-users, multi-files, pe¬ 
riodic & one time events. DOS 2.0+ PC/XT/AT/ 
compatible $29.95 Check/Visa/MC 
Advanced Concepts 
P.0. Box 246 
Ironia, N.J. 07845 

1-800 235-6646 Ext 852 1-800-235-6647(CA) 


Communications 


PC SERIAL DATA ANALYZER 

Use your IBM PC or compatible to analyze data 
streams between serial devices. Windows show 
each devices transmissions in ASCII or HEX. 64K 
buffer, Signal line monitoring, disk save, “Lotus” 
style interface, an invaluable tool for debugging 
serial interfaces. DISK and MANUAL $150.00 
TRIPLE C SOFTWARE 
1827 S.W. 24th Ave. 

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 
(305)583-0687 


Tech 

Marketplace... 

Second Color 
Option Available 

For More Information 
or to Place Your Ad 

Call (212) 503-5115 


METAL FABRICATORS 

PC/Cultist takes input from your bill of mate¬ 
rial—Detail drawing and calculates the best 
cutting combination for any length stock and 
prints a shop ready cutting list and scrap report. 
Also an optimization feature finds best multi 
length for mill orders. Price $300. 

Demo Disk $25.00 
THE JOSEPH ALBERT CO. 

P.0. Box 611 

Blue Island, Illinois 60406 
(312)349-9032 


General 


TAPE/DISK CONVERSIONS 

Conversion services to or from over 800 com¬ 
puter systems: 

• Magtapes 

• Micro Computers 

• Mini Computers 

• Word Processors 

• Typesetters 

Our conversion capabilities surpass most in the 
industry. 

PIVAR COMPUTING SERVICES, INC. 

165 Arlington Hgts. Rd. #T 
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 
(312)459-6010 


ELECTRONIC DATA TRANSLATION 
SERVICES 


Solving data incompatibilities requires more 
than just a straight dump or ASCII transfer. 
We can convert all of the parameters involved 
in making it compatible among mainframes, 
minis, micros, dedicated word processors, 
and typesetters! 

• Translation of formatting and text en¬ 
hancement features (control characters) 
of word processing documents 
(dedicated machines or software-based). 
e.g. Even from Radio Shack’s Scripsit, 
TRS.DOS to 3B2, Q1, UNIX, and so on. 

• Database restructuring (including from 
word processors’ File and List 
Managers) - Extractions, merging and 
reconstructions, filtering, field ad¬ 
justments (spaces and blanks, additions, 
deletions and unpacking), sorting, 
delimiter replacements, etc. 

• Spreadsheet translations (NOT just the 
reports or values) - Labels, cell referen¬ 
cing codes, and formulas too. e.g. 
Visicalc or MultiPlan, Apple DOS to 
Lotus, Symphony or Jazz. 

ADAPSO member 

CompuData Translators, Inc. 6565 Sunset Blvd. 
Suite 301, Hollywood, CA 90028 (213) 462-6222 

CIRCLE 272 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


FORTRAN GRAPHICS LIBRARY 

GRAFMATIC (screen graphics): 75 MS 
FORTRAN/Pascal, R-M/Profort, Lahey FORTRAN 
callable subroutines. Fully documented, prof, 
graphics capabilities, inc. general utility, 2-D in¬ 
teractive, total 2-D plots, 3-D plots and solid 
models. $135. H-P or H-l plotter? get 
PLOTMATIC, complete plotter graphics library. 
Interfaces w/GRAFMATIC. $135. Both $240. 
MICROCOMPATIBLES, INC. 

301 Prelude Drive Dept. J 
Silver Spring, MD 20901 
(301)593-0683 


35mm SLIDE FROM YOUR PC 

COMPUTER SLIDE EXPRESS converts graphic 
files produced on the IBM PC into brilliant 35mm 
color slides with color resolution 400% better 
than your monitor. Leave your printouts behind. 
Use high resolution color slides up to 4000 line. 
COMPUTER SLIDE EXPRESS $9/slide. 

VISUAL HORIZONS 
180 Metro Park 
Rochester, NY 14623 
(716)424-5300 


C GRAPHICS. ONLY $89! 

GRAF-PAC: Over 90 fast functions. 

• Complete window management 

• Point, line, lineto, polyline 

• Circle, ellipse, blockfill, blocksave 

• Fonts and font editor 

• Requires: IBM CGA, lattice C or MS C 
Send check, MO, Visa/MC accepted. 
The Enaar Software House 

P.O. Box 10072 
Costa Mesa, CA 92627 
(714)631-2140 


PC PEN-PLOTTER EMULATION 

FORTRAN callable, Versatec/Calcomp compat¬ 
ible (PLOTS, PLOT, AXIS, LINE, SYMBOL, etc. plus 
extras) plotter emulation for CGA, EGA, Here, 
Epson, C. Itoh and compatibles. Libraries for MS 
3.3/4.0 and Lahey F77L. Includes 100+ page 
manual, complete examples on disk. Only $150, 
call for educational discount and PGC prices. 

F and S Software 
7604 Peacock Drive 
Huntsville, Alabama 35802 
(205)881-6268 


MetaWINDOW™/TurboWINDOW™ 

Advanced graphics toolkit provides Xerox Star/ 
Apple Macintosh style graphics on your IBM PC. 
Supports most popular graphics cards. Allows 
you to create pop-up menus, windows & icons; 
use proportionally spaced fonts; rubberband & 
rag lines, text or bitmap images; supports mouse- 
cursor tracking. Tightly optimized for use with 
Turbo Pascal, IBM Pascal, C, Fortran. 

METAGRAPHICS 

SOFTWARE CORPORATION 

METAGRAPHICS SOFTWARE CORP. 

4575 Scotts Valley Drive 
Scotts Valley, CA 95066 
(408)438-1550 

CIRCLE 273 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



214 


PC TECH JOURNAJ 






























SOFTWARE/LANGUAGES—PROGRAMMERS TOOLS 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


Languages 



SYSTEMS & SOFTWARE, INC. 
3303 Harbor Blvd., C11 
Costa Mesa, CA 92626 
(714)241-8650 


Tech Marketplace, 

the home 
of the 

power buyer. 


Operating Systems 


FINALLY! MODULES 

Add class to your compiled BASIC programs with 
FINALLY ! MODULES. Use pull-down WIN¬ 
DOWS, horizontal menus, pop-up help screens, 
input screen and directory managers. For use 
with FINALLY! Library and Quick Basic 2.0 or IBM 
compiler 2.0.30 day MoneyBack guar. Visa/MC/ 
CK/MO. FINALLY! MODULES is$99+$4s/h. 
Komputerwerk Inc. Dept PCT 
851 Parkview Blvd. 

Pittsburgh, PA 15215 
(412)782-0384 


FORTRAN POWER TOOLS™ 

New! 10 essential tools for professionals: 
FORREF: Detailed symbol x-ref maps. Subpro¬ 
gram directory. Tree diagram of subprogram 
calls. EPRINT: Text and FORTRAN output files. 
EXTRACT: Subprograms from large files. PASSO: 
Preprocesses source files. ALERT: Makes re¬ 
peated sound at specified freq. and dur. Plus 
APPEND, SEARCH, CHCASE, XTDIR and AD¬ 
VANCE. On-line help. Multiple file processing. 
IBM PC DOS 2x & 3x. Introductory price $119.95 
+ $3.50S&H. 

VISA/MC/MO/check. 

PJN International 
PO. Box 201363 
Austin, Tx 78720 
(512)258-1235 


FIRMWARE DEVELOPMENT INC 

REX-C/86 C package supports ROM code gen¬ 
eration. Includes XC86 C compiler which imple¬ 
ments draft ANSCIC standard, supports-in-line 
assembly, produces optimized 8086/87/186 
reentrant code for real-time environment, gen¬ 
erates separate segment for initialized data and 
string constants for ROM-based applications, 
produces object file in Intel OMF with debug in¬ 
formation, global and local symbols with data 
type and line numbers for high-level debugging. 
Price is $750 which includes XC86, linker, loca¬ 
tor, librarian, hex formatters, and run-time li¬ 
brary source. 


Multitasking with MS-DOS 
is possible NOW! 

A full multitasking extension for DOS 2.1 on a PC, will also run 
DOS 3.0 - 3.2 and run on a 286,386 in real mode (Fast, 100% assembly) 
Easy command line or pgm interface to: Exec up to 23 pgms concur¬ 
rently,- Make a program resident; Modify a program to be re-entrant; 
Exec a resident pgm as subroutine; Program and use all 40 func keys,- 
Save screen fit keyboard before exec. 

Func keys can substitute data or exec a pgm fit substitute returned data,- 
func keys can be nested. 

BAT files can be nested; BAT files can be run concurrently,- BAT files can 
accept data from STDEN or data returned from a pgm,- IFs fit FOR's 
can be nested; BAT files can program or exec func keys 
512 byte Keyboard buffer 
Pgms can be grouped fit exec as "applications" 

Allocation of devices thru "logical devices" 

Pgm interface MS,Lat "C" w/ "On Error branch" 

"Extended DOS" $159 Distributed Software 

3951 Emerson St. 

404-977-0152 Marietta, Ga. 30062 

MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. 


CIRCLE 276 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Programmers Tools 


ROMableCODEon PC! 

PCL0CATE allows PC users to develop ROM- 
based software from MS-DOS “Exe” files. The 
user specifies the physical location of all seg¬ 
ments. Output files are compatible with most 
PROM programmers. PCL0CATE supports the 
8086,8088,80186,80188, and 80286 proces¬ 
sors. MC/VISA. 

ALDIA SYSTEMS INCORPORATED 
P.0. Box 37634 
Phoenix, AZ 85069 
(602)866-1786 


VERSION CONTROL SYSTEM 

TUB™ stores ALL versions of your source in ONE 
compact library file, even with hundreds of re¬ 
visions. Updates (deltas), 5-7 times faster than 
Unix SCCS. Date & comments for each version, 
easy retrieval. LAN-shared libraries. Free public 
domain MAKE (with source) by Landon Dyer. 
DOS 2.X/3.X $99.95 $3 s/h VISA/MC. 

BURTON SYSTEMS SOFTWARE 
P.0. Box 4156-TJ 
Cary, NC 27511-4156 
(919)469-3068 


ATTENTION TURBO PASCAL USERS! 

Crash the 64K Barrier 

Try TURBO PACKAGE now! 
90 day money back guarantee! 

Modular Programming! 

Promotes REUSE of working CODE 
CUTS development TIME 
IMPROVES system RELIABILITY 
SIMPLIFIES program MAINTENANCE 

FILL 640KB with code/data any way you want 
VERY FEW CODE CHANGES. 

FASTER than chaining or overlaying 

SuperMath, FREE! 

With purchase of Turbo Package 
40 plus LONG (32-bit math) routines 
Faster than real - big enough for $. 
ASM coding insures top performance 

Just $49.95 (in TX add tax) 

Visa/MC Outside USA add $5.00 shipping 
IBM/PC. XT. AT or compatible MS/DOS machine and ZIOO 

Write or call for more information 


CONVERSATIONAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS 

/// 5371 Verbena Rd. 

((( San Antonio, TX 78240 
V§)Phone: (512) 692-0353 

CIRCLE 278 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


ETHERNET 
FOR PCs. 


PC/TCP is a complete 
ethemet package for PCs. 
Connects PCs to other 
PCs or UNIX hosts. 

Runs on any PC 
or compatible and requires 
a 3COM, Interlan, Proteon, 
or BICC board. 

Price: $400 per PC. 


UniPressSoftware 


2025 Lincoln Hwy. 

Edison, NJ 08817 
800-222-0550 (Outside NJ) 
201-985-8000 
Telex: 709418 

CIRCLE 274 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Programmers Tools 


PASCAL-to-C TRANSLATOR 

Industrial strength conversion from Turbo, Mi¬ 
crosoft, UCSD, MT+, Apollo, Macintosh, and 
other Pascals to K&R C. Handles nested proce¬ 
dures, intrinsic functions, separately compiled 
units and modules, all data types including long 
integers. 

Requires 512K IBM PC/XT/AT. Send up to 500 
lines of Pascal and we will convert it for FREE. 
Site licensing from $5,000. Conversions 50 
cents/line. 

TGLInc. 

27096 Forest Springs Ln. 

Corvallis, OR 97330 
(503)745-7476 


Structure for Assembly? 

Unique program adds structure to assembly 
language. IBM/MASM compatible. Develop and 
debug faster with structured concepts. If-then- 
else, select-when-other, do while, do until, do 
incremental, all combinations, and do forever. 
Leave/leaveall loop exits, and file includes. Nest 
16 deep. $50. 

LANEY SYSTEMS, INC. 

3 Office Park Drive Ste. 100 
Little Rock, AR 72211 
501-225-7755 


ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE TOOL 

VersiCERF™ creates a sorted Master Cross- 
Reference Listing of an entire application from 
the MASM CRF files. Pinpoints which source 
modules are affected by changes to common 
PROC’s, variables, etc. Handles 100+ separate 
programs source files. Full X-Ref or just PUBLIC 
symbols. $55 MC/VISA/C0D 

SUMMIT INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC. 

73 East Lane 
Willingboro, NJ 08046 
1-800-334-4096 (in NJ 609-871-0202) 


Turbo Pascal Programmers: 
15 MINUTES = 200 HOURS! 
with new turboMAGIC 
code generator. 

Input forms and help windows up to 66 lines 
long. Scrolling within framed windows. Pop¬ 
up menus. Pull-down menu systems. And 
much more! 

Read what professionals say: "Fast automatic 
updating of dependent fields adds flair to your 
input screens...turboMAGIC will be a bless¬ 
ing for programmers who would rather not 
write the user interface for every program. " 
Neil Rubenking. PC Magazine. 24 Feb. 87. 

Order your magic today! Just $99. Call 
800-225-3165. Money Back Guarantee. Re¬ 
quires 256K IBM PC compatible. 



Sophisticated Software Inc. 

6586 Old Shell Road 
Mobile. AL 36608 
205-342-7026 


CIRCLE 284 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


JUNE 1987 


215 













































SOFTWARE/PROGRAMMERS TOOLS 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


Programmers Tools 


NETWORK FILE SHARING TOOLBOX 
Easy to Use—Pascal NETTOOL 

TURBO Pascal source library. Provides proce¬ 
dures for accessing files and locking records in 
a file sharing environment. Perfect for network 
database applications. 

Price: $69.00 
SYNPHERON, INC. 

30 Clairmont Ave. 

Thornwood, NY 10594 
(914)769-7904 


FORTRAN Developers 

Essentials for documenting and debugging large 
FORTRAN programs. DOCUMENT’er: prepares 
x-references and symbol tables for an ENTIRE 
program with ALL routine, COMMON,... defini¬ 
tions +ALL uses. DIAGRAM’er: draws clear dia¬ 
gram^) of complex code and data structures of 
your code. Interactive + many display options. 
Needs only existing source, MAP, and library files. 
All compilers supported. Both $128.75 

* IMPULSE 

ENGINEERING 

Ray Strong, (415) 788-4611 
IMPULSE Engineering 
P.0. Box 3540 

San Francisco, CA 94119-3540 


IBM PC X-ASSEMBLERS 

Develop MPU products on your 
PC! 21 different fast cross- 
assemblers. Both absolute and 
relocatable. Linker, Locater, 
Librarian, Format Converter, 
X-reference, Macros, Public, 
Local symbols and more. 

reins 

RELMS 1 ' 1 PO BOX 6719 
SAN JOSE, CA. 95150 

TWX 910-379-0014 
(408) 265-5411 
(800) 448-4880 

CIRCLE 295 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


DOCUMENT YOUR 
SOFTWARE! 

When they ask about your man¬ 
ual ... Do you politely change the 
subject? No more! Give them doc¬ 
umentation you can be proud of, at 
a cost you can afford. Fixed price 
contract, professional quality, 
quick turnaround. Call today for a 
free estimate. 

DOCUMENTATION-BY-MAIL 
20370 SW 84 Avenue 
Miami, FL 33189 
(305) 253-2317 

CIRCLE 280 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


COMMAND HISTORY EDITOR 

Increase your productivity by typing less! Re¬ 
place MS-DOS command line editor with our full- 
featured one. Editor has cursor left, right, begin¬ 
ning, end, search, delete, and insert or typeover 
modes. History buffer retains commands which 
may be recalled for editing and execution by line 
number. $49.95. 

Marcus and Associates 
17744 Skypark Blvd, Suite 230 
Irvine, CA 92714 
(714)250-1992 


BASIC DATABASE 

BASIC Base is a powerful database develop¬ 
ment environment for only $45. This includes 
menus, fast query, professional library, easy 
programming, and expert utilities. The library 
contains subroutines for multi indexed data¬ 
bases, data windows, and more. 30 day money 
back guarantee. Requires Quick Basic or BASICA. 
Application Microcomputers, Inc. 

1663 Bachan Ct. 

Reston, VA 22090 
(703)471-1471 


SCREEN MANAGER 


SAVE TIME! Powerful Screen 
Designer and Data Entry Mana¬ 
ger Increases Your Productivity! 
Interfaces to most languages. 
BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, C, 
PASCAL, PLM86, ASM. Not a 
Code Generator! No Royalties. 


The West Chester Group 
P.0. Box 1304 
West Chester, Pa 19380 


79 

VISA/MC 


(215) 644-4206 


FREE DEMO DISK 

CIRCLE 279 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Modula-2 Libraries 

REPERTOIRE is an integrated DBMS, window/ 
forms/menu generator, multi-window text edi¬ 
tor, and expression evaluator designed specifi¬ 
cally for M2. Only $89 with full (600K) source 
code and 320p printed manual. Complete man¬ 
ual for this and many other M2 tools available 
on free demo disk. MC/VISA/AMEX/COD. 



PMI 

4536 SE 50th 
Portland, OR 97206 
(503)777-8844 


UNBEATABLE DEBUGGER 

90% the power of a $5,000 logic analyzer for only 
$99. VIM interprets machine code in its own vir¬ 
tual memory space, allowing any code to be easily 
traced (device drivers, copy protection, ram- 
resident utilities, even operating systems). Runs 
on any PC, AT or compatible. DOS 2.0,640K 
recommended. 



Digital Dispatch, Inc. (DDI) 

1580 Rice Creek Road 
Minneapolis, MN 55432 
1-800-221-8091 or (612) 571-7400 


S t r u B A S 

Structured BASIC Development Toolkit 
QuickBASIC - IBM BASIC 2.0 

Design screens in minutes with powerful 
screen designer using any editor. Modify 
most features without recompiling. 
Interface to Btrieve. ISAM, and Screens 
with single commands. Offers program 
generators, menu utility, subroutine 
library, utility programs, network 
support thru Btrieve, and preprocessor to 
extend BASIC and enhance structure. 


NOT COPY PROTECTED 


Site and Corporate licenses available. 
IANHY SYSTEMS, INC. 

3 Office Park Drive. Ste. 100 
Little Rock, Arkansas 72211 
501-225-7755 

VISA/MC ACCEPTED _ $495/$5demo. 


FREE 30 DAY TRIAL 

CIRCLE 296 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


LINK & 

LOCATE 

LINK & LOCATE 
enables PC users 
to produce ROM- 
based firmware for 8086/87/186 from object files 
generated by popular C compilers, such as from 
Wizard, Microsoft and Lattice, and MASM assembler 
from Microsoft. Provides full control of segment 
placement anywhere in memory. Supports output of 
Intel FI EX file for PROM programmers, Intel OMF 
absolute object file for symbolic debuggers and 
in-circuit emulators Includes Intel compatible linker, 
locator, librarian and hex formatters. $350. 



Systems & Software, Inc. 

3303 Harbor Blvd., Cl 1, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 
Phone(714) 241-8650 FAX(714) 241-0377 TWX910-695-01 25 

CIRCLE 281 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


COBOL, BASIC, REXX SCREENS 

* Tired of resident screen manager? Use* 

* SCREENMASTER. Generates code & gives * 

* you control. Paint, edit; draw boxes, lines, etc. * 

* IBM/MICROSOFT/REALIA COBOL—$85. * 
*QuickBASIC/REXX—$49. REPORT HEAD-* 

* ER GENERATOR—$55. Shp—$5. 

TAJEVA SOFTWARE 

6064 Belle Grove S. 

Memphis, TN 38115 
(910)365-4692 


Pub. Domain/Shareware 
Programming Tools 

ASSEMBLER: 

220 Programming Tools/Tips 

690 A86 - ’finest assembler & 

debugger, available* 

467 Source: Device Drivers 
473 Source: Keyboard Utilities 
586 Source: Video Utilities 

BASIC: 

224 BASIC General Tools 
226 BASIC Subroutines 
749 QuickBASIC Tools & Info. 

815 Business Graphics source 
for screen/plotter. 

779 ADVBAS for QB: dozens of 
useful routines in assembler 
to be called by QuickBASIC. 

C': 

601 Window Boss - top ratings 

720 Library for Lattice 
737 Library for Datalight 

251 Source: EMACS-like editor 

PASCAL: 

757 Box: screen designer 

252 PXL: cross-ref. lister 
506 Turbo Lessons: tutorial 

589 Turbo Wheels: utility function 
library 

721 New Fonts: procedures, func¬ 

tions and a utility for 
creating your own fonts. 

OTHER: 

233 Programmer's Guide: tips on 
marketing your programs as 
’shareware*. 

691 Augusta: subset of Ada 

495 Expert Sys.Inference Engine 
782 Flowcharter: for programs 
246 F83: Forth interpreter 

A library fee of $ 5/disk is charged 
for each disk plus $4/order S&H. 

Generally, no other fees are 
involved for disks that contain 
numerous small programs, source 
code and information. 

Most of the large programs 
are ’shareware’ and some payment 
to the author is required to register 
the program for use. ($10-$50) 

For a complete listing of the 
library and copy of the monthly 
library magazine of reviews and 
articles, write or call the 

PUBLIC (Software) LIBRARY 
P.O. Box 35705 
Houston, TX 77235-5705 
(713) 721-6104 MC/Visa 

CIRCLE 297 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


216 


PC TECH JOURNAL 








































SOFTWARE/PROGRAMMERS TOOLS—SCIENTIFIC 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

THECOMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


Programmers Tools 


TURBO PASCAL GENERATOR 

GTP APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM 
Builds complete, working applications. 

You give it spec’s, it writes error-free code 

• Indexed Data Bases • Multiple Screens 

• Report Generator • Menu Generator 

• Context-Sens. Help • Global Searching 
Easy to Use Price $200.00 Visa/MC,ck,MO 
AEF 

P.0. Box 928 
Katy.TX 77492 
(713)391-8570 


InlineTools 2.0 

Assembly programming in Turbo Pascal is easy 

with IT. Just write assembly code as comments, 

and let IT append inline machine code for you 

instantly. No more DEBUG and MASM. Write at 

ease DOS calls, and critical statements in tight 

and fast assembly, as illustrated in IT manual. 

$69 + $4 s/h 

Jou Laboratories 

P.0. Box 460969 

Garland, TX 75046 

(214)495-8862 


IOTools Library 
for 

Modula-2 


Superior Handling for 
Both Console and Terminals 


Multi-tasking. 

Can use same application code for 
both consoles and terminals. 

30 day money back guarantee!! 

For Logitech and Pecan. 

Available from: 

Rhoads Associates 

(215)388-2626 

CIRCLE 298 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Productivity Tools 

Software Revision Management System 

SRMS is a full featured version control 
system featuring: 

* 10 Integrated Utilities with user shell 

* Capability for hundreds of versions/library 

* Merge utility resolves parallel effort conflicts 

* Report Generation Utilities 

* Typeset documentation and much more! 

Yraton Sltf 


QMAKE 

“ Program generation utility patterned after 
UNIX make to aid in rebuilding sytems 
' Recompiles only routines necessary 
' Support for macros and multiple entry points 
* Integrates fully with SRMS 
-XfcOlgfl 1,2£22 


TXTTOOLS 

• QDIFF - Windowed File Difference Utility 

• QSE - Quill Stream Editor 

• QSRCH - Like UNIX GREP $85 


Quilt Computing rwffl ras«K) 

7048 Stratford Road 

Woodbury, MN 55125 CIRCLE 283 ON 
1(612) 739-4650 READER SERVICE CARD^ 


APL Programmers! 

Interface C and APL*PLUS with APL2C'"! Speed 
up your APL code. Link to C libraries. Includes K 
& R C compiler. $195 Complete. FULLSCREEN 
Panels'" is here! Screen Generator and full-screen 
processor for the APL environment. Pop-ups, 
panels, menus, scrolling fields NO ROYALTIES, 
$150. 

Lauer Software 
P0 Box 728 

Newtown, PA 18940-0728 
(215)860-9764 


CROSS-TRANSLATION UTILITIES 

Convert 8085, Z80 Assembly language pro¬ 
grams to 8086 assembly language programs. 
2500 lines converted and re-assembled on IBM 
PC in 20 minutes. With a error-free listing. Also, 
8080/8085 to Z80 or NSC800 conversion. Use 
Microsoft MASM! Ask for what you need! 

ralms 

RELATIONAL MEMORY SYSTEMS. INC 


RELMS’" 

PO BOX 6719 

SAN JOSE, CA. 95150 

Call (800) 448-4880 (408)265-5411 

TWX 910-379-0014 


ROM 8086 CODE 

ROM KIT locates EXE mod¬ 
ules developed on a PC. ROM 
KIT is ROMable so 8086 
developers can use existing 
linkers, compilers, etc. to 
embed EXE format files in 
applications. Bonus HEX- 
DUMP utility & HEX-ASCII for¬ 
matter. No Royalties. 

$95 V MC (602)864-1298 

LUCTOR CORPORATION 

2311-104 Royal Palm Road 
Phoenix, Arizona 85021 
FULL SOURCE CODE 

CIRCLE 299 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Public Domain 


ECHO DISK COPY 

Public domain software for your IBM or com¬ 
patible. Hundreds of programs. $3 per disk. Send 
#10 SASE or Iwo stamps for free catalog. 

Echo Disk Copy 
P.O. Box 50132 
Mobile, AL 36605 

TURBO PASCAL $2/disk 

TSS is a BBS-by-mail, no modem needed (long 
distance is more $$$ than mails)! 60+ disks of 
Pascal files. Most incl. source code. All files 
compressed. Membership fee ($25) incl. free 
starter pkg. and 2 FREE disks with 1 st order. Non¬ 
members $7/disk. Cat. list $5. VISA/MC/C0D 
(s/h extra) (data) 617-545-9131 
TURBO SOURCE SEARCH 
P.O. BOX 876 
SCITUATE, MA 02066 
(voice) 617-545-6677 

TURBO PASCAL™ SOFTWARE $6 

Write or call for information about: 

• Systems & applications development tools 

• Programs for home and business 

• Communication tools & applications 

• Games in specialized applications 

• Scientific/engineering programs & routines 

• Graphics including animation tools 
TURBO S.I.X. 

P.O. Box 8373 
Waco, TX 76714 
(817)753-2182 

PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE INC 

Over 115 volumes of public domain software in 
CP/M and MSD0S format. 

• editors, compilers, text formatters 

• many UNIX-like tools & misc. utilities 

• communications packages, etc. 

Write or call for more details. Send $10 for com- 
pehensive directory. 


C 


Users' 

Group 


THE C USERS’GROUP 
P.O. Box 97 

McPherson, KS 67460 
(316)241-1065 


TECH MARKETPLACE... 

The Home of the Power Buyer 

Listings are grouped by classification 
and sold by column inches. 
Second color option available. 

For information: 

Call (212) 503-5115 


Scientific 


SCI/ENG GRAPHICS 

OMNIPLOT [S] (screen graphics) & OMNIPLOT 
[P] (plotter driver) provide integrated engineer¬ 
ing/scientific 2-D & 3-D graphics with NO PRO¬ 
GRAMMING! Menu-driven, flexible, professional. 
Choice of formats: tabular/line, contour, bar, pie, 
3-D wire frame & much more! 0MNIPL0T [S] 
$195. Add OMNIPLOT [P], both $295. 
MICROCOMPATIBLES, INC. 

301 Prelude Dr. Dept. J 
Silver Spring, MD 20901 
(301)593-0683 

DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS 

The SOLVER system integrates coupled-differ¬ 
ential equations, with or without time delays and 
nonintegrable points. Developed at the Appl. 
Physics Dept., Strathclyde Univ., SOLVER sys¬ 
tem ($150) is a professional solution for your 
simulation needs. Requires Turbo Pascal and 
Graphix Toolbox. 

ANALYSIS RESOURCES 
Box 91847 

Santa Barbara, Ca 93190 
(805)963-0914 

8087 FFT/VECTOR PROCESSING 

The VECT0R87 library is written in assembler, 
includes 60 routines to speed up your number¬ 
crunching programs. Uses 80(2) 87 extensively. 
PC IK real FFT takes only \2 sec. Versions for 
Fortran (MS, RM, Lahey), C (MS, Lattice), Turbo 
Pascal -87. $150 per version with source, no 
royalties. Write for technical information. 
VECTORPLEX Data Systems Ltd. 

136-100 Maitland Place N.E. 

Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2A 5V5 
(403)248-1250 

SCI-GRAF and SCI-CALC 

SCI-GRAF produces huge hi-res graphs thru easy 
menus or linkable C libraries. Supports log scales, 
error bars, point labeling, screen and printer 
output. SCI-CALC is a pop-up calculator with 
complete expression editing: scientific, statisti¬ 
cal, and logical functions. Requires IBM PC 
compatibility. Prices start at $79.95 . 
Microcomputer Systems Consultants 
52 West Anapamu, Suite 190 
Santa Barbara, CA 93101 
(805)963-3412 

NUMERICAL C SOFTWARE 

Computationally stable numerical routines for C 
software developers. LINLIB contains complex 
arithmetic, solutions to equations, approxima¬ 
tions, LU, QR, Cholesky factors of matrices, least 
squares solutions, eigenvalues. LINLIB has 
splines, B-spline routines, spline interpolation, 
spline approximation of data. $165. 
INFORMATION AND GRAPHIC SYSTEMS 
15 Normandy Court 
Atlanta, GA 30324 
Call (404)231-9582 


Security Devices 

Category 

begins on next page 


JUNE 1987 


217 








































SOFTWARE/SECURITY DEVICES—UTILITIES 

TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


Security Devices Statistics 


Terminal Emulation Utilities 


BIT-LOCK® SECURITY 

Piracy SURVIVAL 5 YEARS proves effectiveness 
of powerful multilayered security. Rapid decryp¬ 
tion algorithms. Reliable/small port transparent 
security device. PARALLEL or SERIAL port. 
Countdown and timeout options also available. 
KEY-LOK™ security at about % BIT-LOCK cost. 
MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS 
7805 S. Windermere Circle 
Littleton, CO 80120 
(303) 922-6410 or 798-7683 

EVERLOCK COPY PROTECTION 

Designed for user-transparency, clone compat¬ 
ibility & strength. It features: 

—no I/O plugs or special media 
—FULL hard disk & cartridge support 
-file-server network support 
—variable number of installs (0-99) 

—demo diskette option with unlock 
—protected upgrades by modem/BBS 
All this for $495 with no meter counts. Free info 
& demo disk. 

(Duplication services also available.) 



Az-Tech Software, Inc. 
426 Grandview 
Richmond, MO 64085 
(816)776-8153 


TECH 

MARKETPLACE 

Advertising Staff 

Advertising Director 

Kathryn J. Cumberlander 

Sales Manager 

Daniel L. Rosensweig 

Sr. Advertising 
Coordinator 

Monica Dixon 

Advertising Coordinator 

Angela Kiffin 

Sales Assistant 

Linda Annis 


Production Manager 

Anne R. Brockinton 

(212) 503-5441 


RATS! VERSION 2.0 

Best selling Econometrics program. Over 4000 
sold. OLS, 2SLS, logit, probit, and much more! 
Forecasting with ARIMA, VAR. Model simula¬ 
tions. Support for daily/weekly data. High-qual¬ 
ity graphics to screen, plotter, printer. $200-$300. 
Visa/MC. Demo available. 

VAR Econometrics, Inc. 

P.0. Box 1818 

Evanston, IL 60204-1818 

1(800)822-8038/312-864-8772 

P-STAT® 

Full mainframe package for IBM PC/XT/AT & 
compatibles. Combines data & file manage¬ 
ment, data display, statistical analysis, report- 
writing & survey analysis in a single package. 
4GL programming language, online HELP, menu 
or command driven with interactive EDITOR. $95 
demo and Site License available. 

P-STAT Inc. 

471 Wall Street, P.0. Box AH 

Princeton, N.J. 08542 

Telephone: 609-924-9100 Telex: 466452 


PowerStat 

An extremely powerful program with a 
good user interface PC Tech Journal 

Excellent analysis of variance routines 



• Basic Statistics 

• Regression 

• Multivariate 

• Counted Data 

• Analysis ofVai 


Analytical Engineering ovon 
P.O. Box 9, Station P. 
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2S6 
(416)960-3030 

CIRCLE 277 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


If you can buy only one statistics 
and forecasting package, choose 
the best. 

StatPac Gold 

Call for free descriptive brochure: 

1 - 800 - 328-4907 


VA 


WALONICK ASSOCIATES, INC. 

6500 Nicollet Avenue S. Minneapolis. MN 55423 

(612) 866-9022 


MAI/BASIC FOUR TERMINAL 
PRINTER EMULATOR 

The MAI Terminal Emulator allows your PC/XT/ 
AT to be used as a MAI 7270 VDT terminal. Very 
easy to use. Menu driven. Includes Slave Printer 
emulation. Sends/receives files to/from the MAI 
computer. Available for several languages. 
Dealers/distributors wanted. $395+15(s&h). 
ELEKTR0K0NSULTA/S 
Austadg.4,pob 846 
N-3000 DRAMMEN 
NORWAY Tel.+473 831500 


BARR/HASP INTELLIGENT RJE 
WORKSTATION 

Hardware and software communications pack¬ 
age for IBM PC, XT and AT. Simultaneously 
transmits data to host and receives output di¬ 
rectly to MVS/JES2, MVS/JES3, VS/RSCS, and 
CDC/N0S, bypassing TS0 and CMS. Emulates 
IBM 3777-2 and HASP on IBM 360/20. Line 
speed: 1,200 to 19,200 baud (56,000 bps on AT). 
Supports multiple high-speed printers beyond 
2,400 Ipm. (6,000 Ipm on AT). Features: 
concurrent DOS, LAN support, printer forms 
control, plotter support, unattended operation, 
easy installation. $1,290 includes Hardware 
& Software. 

EURR 


BARR SYSTEMS, INC. 

2830 NW 41st Street, Building M 
Gainesville, FL 32606 
(800)-BARR-SYS/(904) 371-3050 


PCBTAM 

Communications Access 
Method 


General purpose binary synchronous 
access method for custom file transfer 
or terminal emulation on PC/XT/AT 
with IBM BSCA card. 

• high performance, full featured 

• object (S300.00) or source 
($2,500.00) license 

• link with ASM, Lattice or Microsoft 
programs 

• Z-SIO version available 


Symbiotic, Inc. 

1035 Route 46 East 


Clifton, NJ 07013 
201-777-6454 


CIRCLE 286 ON 
READER SERVICE CARD 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

The Comprehensive Guide 
to Products and Services 
for the MS DOS Market 

(212) 503-5115 


XT/AT HARD DISK DIAGNOSTICS! 

Disk Manager Diagnostics performs extensive 
tests on your ST412/506 hard disks. Areas tested 
are: Controller, data write/read, seek test, auto¬ 
matic error correction(ECC), random reads and 
media defects. Interactive help. Excellent error 
detection and isolation. $49.95 + ship. 
VISA/MC accepted. 

QNTRflCK 

COMPUTER SYSTEMS INC. 

0NTRACK COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC. 

6222 Bury Drive 
Eden Prairie, MN 55344 
(612)937-1107 1-800-752-1333 


BE A POWER USER! 

MAKE YOUR PC 
SEEM LIKE AN AT! 

MAKE YOUR AT 
SEEM LIKE A 
DREAM MACHINE! 

fANSI- 

CONSOLE ,m 

The Integrated Console Utility ™ 

FAST, POWERFUL 
ANSI.SYS REPLACEMENT 

For IBM-PG, AT, and clones 
New Version 2.00 is MUCH FASTER! 
Now blink free scrolling on CGA! 
Now uses EMS for scroll recall! 

New option menu program! 

• Speed up your screen writing 

• Extend your ANSI.SYS to VTIOO 

• Scroll lines back onto screen 

• Save scrolled lines into a file 

• Add zip to your cursor keys 

• Free your eyes from scroll blinking 

• Easy installation 

• Get a 43 line EGA support 

• Over 50 useful options 

‘The psychological difference is 
astonishing” -Lotus June 85 pg 8. 
‘‘So many handy functions rolled 
into one unobtrusive package” 

-PC-World Feb 86 pg 282. 
‘ The support provided by the 
publishers is extraordinary” 

-Capital PC Monitor May 86 pg 25. 
“. . .the best choice for improving 
your console. ..” 

-Capital PC Monitor June 86 pg 26. 
“. . .documentation is nicely laid 
out and well written. . . ” 

“. . .a fine enhancement to any IBM 
system.” 

-PC Tech Journal Jan 87 pg 180. 

460p Manual (w/slip case) 
and 2 disks: $75 plus $4 s/h. 

Satisfaction Guaranteed! 
Order Yours Today! 

HERSEY MICRO CONSULTING 
Box 8276, Ann Arbor, Ml 48107 
(313) 994-3259 VISA/MC/Amex 

DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED 


CIRCLE 291 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



218 


PC TECH JOURNAL 





















































SOFTWARE/UTILITIES 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


Utilities 


THE NEWMAN UTILITIES 

45 Utilities including UNERASE and EMUCOL- 
OR which will run most color software on mono¬ 
graphics card -$19.95. EZRUN menu system: 
allows running 1-36 programs with a keystroke 
-$19.95.15 day MB guar, $2 Ship 
NEWMAN COMPUTER 
2 Briar Mills Drive 
Suite 2A 

Bricktown, NJ 08724 
(201)458-5169 


SPEED UP YOUR HARDDISK! I 



For fast, efficient, time-saving use, 
organize your hard disk with 


Vopt 1 . 

Vopt consolidates the fragmented 
files that slow down and wear down 
your disk. Now your hard disk can 
find what it’s looking for — all in 
one place! 

Vopt is fast! Initial organization 
averages under 5 minutes! Daily 
runs from the AUTOEXEC file 
average under 1 minute! 

Vopt includes — Vmap for graphic 
display of HD utilization, Vseek for 
HD seek times, Vmarkbad to flag 
bad clusters, plus much more! 

Get Vopt and get going! 


ONLY *49.95 

Add $3 shipping & handling 
CA residents add 6% sales tax 

GOLDEN BOW SYSTEMS 


2870 Fifth Avenue 
Suite 201 

San Diego. CA 92103 

c 619/298-9349 

Vopt is a trademark of Golden Bow Systems 

CIRCLE 287 ON READER SERVICE CARD 



uaid Analyzer 

the tool 
that created 
CopyWrite 

Now you can debug your own programs 
with a professional quality debugger - 
the one that unraveled every form of 
copy-protection used on the PC. 


fa 


With the Quaid Analyzer, you can: 

□ See occurrences of any interrupt, with its 
meaning shown on the screen. 

□ View memory as text or instructions, 
scrolling as easily as you do with an editor. 

□ Run until a memory location or I/O port is 
changed. 

□ Protect your hard disk from accidental 
destruction. 


□ Analyze software without the source, even 
when it uses countermeasures to thwart 
tracing. 

□ See all stages of the boot load. 


We kept the Quaid Analyzer off the 
market to avoid helping publishers with 
copy-protection. Now that copy¬ 
protection is gone, we can sell it to 
you. 


The Quaid Analyzer is a software tool occupying 100K bytes. It 
runs on any IBM PC and most MS-DOS systems without hard¬ 
ware modification. 


QJ Quaid Software Limited 


$99 U.S. 

All orders shipped at 
our expense within a 
day. All major credit 
cards accepted. 



can (416) 961-8243 


or write to: 

45 Charles St. East 
Third Floor, Dept. 602 
Toronto, Ontario. M4Y 1S2 


Ask about Disk Explorer the program that takes over 
where Quaid Analyzer leaves off. 

CIRCLE 292 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Compress Your Data 10X FASTER!! 


• PKARC & PKXARC can compress your files even smaller and up to 
TEN TIMES FASTER than the other ARChive program. 

• “PKARC/PKXARC is the system to use.” 

-Dr. Dobbs Journal of Software Tools 

Only $45 + 3.50 s/h. Wl res. add 5% tax. 

7032 N. Ardara Ave., Glendale, Wl 53209 (414) 352-3670 


PHuuare Inc. 


CIRCLE 293 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


HARD DISK EXPANSION! 

Disk Manager allows the installation of any 
ST506 hard disk on PC,XT,AT and compatibles. 
Volumes up to 256mb! Menu driven/auto in¬ 
stall, compatible w/ all vers of MS/PC DOS (does 
not modify DOS), up to 16 volumes, easy to use! 
$125+ ship. Ask about Novell product! Dealer 
inquiries invited. 

QNTRPCK 

.mm. COMPUTER SYSTEMS INC. 

0NTRACK COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC. 

6222 Bury Drive 
Eden Prairie, MN 55344 
(612)937-1107 1-800-752-1333 



Are your files too big for their 
britches? Why just compress them 
when you can Squish them instead? 


Only Squish lets your other software 
(dBASE III, R:base, etc.) read or even 
update compressed files while the 
files stay compressed on disk ... 
without any software changes! That’s 
right. Squish works automatically and 
on-the-fly, letting other software use 
“squished files” without ever 
expanding one byte on disk. 

It’s a must for databases... they 
compress up to 90%! Even text files, 
spreadsheets, etc. compress up to 
60%. You get back “megamounds" 
of disk space. 

Squish only needs 40K of RAM for its 
magic. Just set it up, load it from 
AUTOEXEC.BAT, and Squish does the 
rest behind the scenes. 

“Ideal for fhose with more files than 
disk space and especially with large 
data files” PC Magazine 2/24/87 

“You owe it to yourself and your poor 
overstuffed files to check this one 
out” NY PC Newsletter Feb 87 


30-day money back guarantee. PC, 

XT, AT, 100% compatibles. DOS 2.0 
or above. 


Order today! Just $79 + $5 s/h. See 
your local dealer or call us direct: 


/tc 


. i 

-jund< 


log ^oftware 

Corporation 


264 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231 
(718) 855-9141 

Trademarks/Owners: R:base/Microrim; 
dBASE lll/Ashton-Tate, Inc. 

CIRCLE 288 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


JUNE 1987 


219 































SOFTWARE/UTILITIES 



ASCII 

text 

50% to 


Program 
files 
20% to 
30%. 


CIRCLE 275 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


TallScreen® 

Because Nobody Ever Said 
DOS Was Perfect: 

• Recall commands/directories 

• Scroll back thru screen output 

• Resident fullscreen text editor 

• Capture screens from application 
programs 

• Save screen text to file 

“Only a few utility programs become 
indispensible tools . . . “—PC Magazine 

0 $ 49.95 VISA/MC 

Qualitas, Inc. 8314 Thoreau DR 
TAS Bethesda, MD 20817 

301-469-8848 

CIRCLE 268 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Utilities 


QDEX YOUR DATA FILES! 

No need for sentinels, hash routines, etc. QDEX 
Btree modules support find, first, last, next, and 
previous calls, plus partial key searches and 
multiple indexes to your data. QDEX is written 
in Microsoft C, and links with compatible 
obj modules. Manual with examples. 

$59.00 +$2 COD 
NORTH Computer Consulting 
775 East 8230 South 
Sandy, Utah 84070 
(801)566-1986 


LIMSIM 

Expanded Memory Simulator for the PC/AT and 
compatible 286 machines. Use the extended 
memory you already have as Lotus style Ex¬ 
panded Memory. Fully supports EMS version 3.2. 
Requires 70k of conventional memory. $50 ($75 
with assembler source) plus $5 s/h. 30 day 
money back guarantee. Visa/MC accepted. 
Larson Computing 
1556 Halford Ave. #142 
Santa Clara, CA 95051 
(408)737-0627 

DISK ACCELERATOR V2.0 

DiskCache speeds up your hard disk access. Disk 
caching and ram disk in one package. Ram disk 
shares cache space. Transparent, flexible, con¬ 
figurable, no h/w changes. RAM, EMS, and AT 
extended memory versions incl. Not copy pro¬ 
tected. VISA, MC, volume discounts. No PO’s 
w/o prior approval. $49.00 
DATAM0RPHICS LTD., 

P.0. Box 820 

Stittsville, Ontario, Canada K0A 3G0 
Or call (613) 836-2670 


Tech 

Marketplace 

Second Color 
Option Available 
For More Information 
or to Place Your Ad 

Call (212) 503-5115 


PC TECH 
JOURNAL 

Classified 
Advertising Staff 

Advertising Director 
Kathryn J. Cumberlander 

Sales Manager 
Daniel L. Rosensweig 

Sr. Advertising 
Coordinator 
Monica Dixon 

Advertising Coordinator 
Angela Kiffin 


Production Manager 
Anne R. Brockinton 

(212) 503-5441 

Production Coordinator 
Elliot Appel 

(212) 503-5470 


PC TECH JOURNAL 
MARKETPLACE is a 

special economical 
section for product and 
service listings. 

Listings are grouped by 
category and sold by 
column inches. 

Second color option 
available. 

Standard Directory 
Listings are also available 
for a minimum of 3 issues 
at $170 per issue 
($510 total). 

For additional information 

Call 212-503-5115 


Compress your data 
into W 1 the space! 


Introducing ARC. It's used to create and main¬ 
tain data file archives for computers operating 
under any DOS system. 

But it does something that other archive 
and library utilities can't. It automatically 
squeezes the files being saved so they 
take up less space. Like a can of con¬ 
centrated orange juice. 

From 20°o to 90°o less, depending on 
the kind of data being saved! 

So there's more room to store data, 
no matter what media it's stored on! And 
that's like giving a shot of vitamin C to 
your savings on equipment and supplies. 

This compressed data can be trans¬ 
mitted over telephone lines in a lot less 
time than it takes to transmit uncom- 1311 
pressed data. So you can beat the high MB 
cost of phone bills to a pulp, as well. 

ARC has a full range of functions for archive 
creation and maintenance. Including password 
encryption to protect data from unauthorized use. 

Typical Compression Rates 


System Enhancement Associates • 21 New Street, Wayne, NJ 07470 • (201)473-5153 


RECORD/PLAYBACK KEYSTROKES 

SAVE MY DAY records your keystrokes to a disk 
file. Playback keystrokes at 4 speeds N times. 
Edit recorded keystrokes. Magically send key¬ 
strokes to any program! Recover from mistakes. 
Test scripts, batch, demonstrations. 60 page 
manual. Pop up menu. Works with most pgms. 
PC/XT/AT Compat. $79 VISA/MC. $ bk. guar. 
COMPUTER FOUNDATIONS 
2604 Elmwood Avenue Suite 320 
Rochester, New York 14625 
(716)586-9756 


CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION 

CHARGENI 3.0 works with the IBM/EGA to let 
you modify the character set, allowing many 
wordprocessors to display technical material, 
equations or other special characters. Requires 
DOS 2 x or 3.x, IBM Standard or Enhanced 
Graphics Adapter. $35+ $2 s/h (MN add 6%). 
DK Micro Consultants 
P.0. Box 6714 
Minneapolis, MN 55406 
(612)722-0931 


AT’s DON’T NEED 360KB DRIVES 


The 1.2MB drive has long been known to READ but NOT reliably 
WRITE on 360KB floppies. With “CPYAT2PC” 1.2MB drives CAN 
reliably WRITE 360KB floppies saving a slot for a second hard 
disk or backup tape. “CPYAT2PC” (Not Copy Protected) offers 
the preferable SOFTWARE SOLUTION. 

• NO software or hardware modification 

• A 360K drive is NOT required 

• “CPYAT2PC” program MAY reside on hard disk 

• Runs on IBM PC/AT and COMPATIBLES 

i.e. Compaq Deskpro 286/386, AT&T 6300 + , 

HP Vectra, Sperry PC/IT, Tandy 3000 
Only $79.00 + $4.00 S/H VISA, MC, COD, UPS-B/R 
ORDER TOLL FREE 1-800-621-0851 XT777 
TELEX EZLINK 62873089 
Dealer Inquiries Invited 
MICROBRIDGE COMPUTERS 
655 Skyway #125 
San Carlos, CA 
CA 415-593-8777 
NY 212-334-1858 

CIRCLE 280 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


220 


PC TECH JOURNAL 





























SOFTWARE/UTILITIES—MISCELLANEOUS/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 


TECH MARKETPLACE 

THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE MS DOS MARKET 


Utilities 


THE COMPLETE DISK UTILITY 

If it’s on a disk or diskette, Disk Explorer will find 
and display it. Disk Explorer, the complete disk 
utility: Recovers files. Displays, changes, cre¬ 
ates and compares sectors. Creates tracks that 
can’t be duplicated by DOS, locates the precise 
end of a track, creates specialized track formats. 
Allows viewing and moving of clusters. Reports 
on disk drive speed, increases the speed of 
reading data and much more. IBM PC, XT or AT, 
128kb and one diskette drive. $75.00 U.S. Check/ 
Credit card welcome. 


y 


Quaid Software Limited 

QUAID SOFTWARE LIMITED 
45 Charles St. East, Third floor 
Toronto, Ontario M4Y1S2 
(416)961-8243 


WATCH 


■ No mods to your program. Just type 

ICTL l-M instead of I ENTER I to measure 
execution time to the next display output 

■ Use with MS debuggers to measure time 
for your program from - •go"to breakpoint 

■ Independent of CPU type and clockspeed 

■ Disk I/O time broken out separately 

Only $59 %3.50 s&h+6% NJ tax 
MC/VISA. 

CUSTOM REAL-TIME SOFTWARE, INC. 

P 0 Box 1106. West Caldwell. NJ 07007 
U S 800-345-0167 • NJ 201-228-7623 

'“STOPWATCH it a Trademark of Custom Real Time Software Ir 


Hard Disk 
Partitioning ^ 
Software 

Breaks the 
32 MB Barrier... 

EFFORTLESSLY! 



179 


For PC-ATs, XTs, and compatibles. 

Creates multiple DOS partitions, 
up to 2,048 MB each. 

Supports ST412, RLL, ESDI and 
SCSI controllers. 

"SpeedStor software makes installation simple and 
painless... its user interface is a joy to work with. "-PC week 

Recommended and used by major disk drive, 
controller, LAM and PC manufacturers. 

The industry standard: over 100,000 units sold. 


#. 


Now includes SpeedCache caching soft¬ 
ware and Disk Drive diagnostics .... FREE 


STORAGE 

DIMENSIONS 


The Experts in High Capacity PC Storage 


( 408 ) 395-2688 

981 University Ave. 
Los Gatos, CA 95030 


CIRCLE 282 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


TECH MARKETPLACE... 

Listings are grouped by category 
and sold by column inches. 

Second color option available. 

For additional information Call 212-503-5115 


Miscellaneous 



Bar Coding 


$99 BAR CODE READERS 

We need Distributors & OEMs worldwide. Our 
readers are IBM PC/XT/AT & Tandy 1000/2000 
keyboard compatible, convertible to RS232 in¬ 
terface, have auto code distinction, need no ad¬ 
ditional software and are available from 
assembled board to fully packaged units. From 
US $99 plus wand in modest OEM quantities. 
ASP MICROCOMPUTERS 
P.0. Box 259, Caulfield East 3145 
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA 

Phone 011 61 35000628 (note time difference) 

BAR CODE READERS 

• IBM, AT&T, Link, Kimtron, TeleVideo, 

• Alloy, DEC keyboard interfaces or RS-232C 

• Need others? Call. 

• NO programming. Reads dot matrix 

• Auto-recognition and single code decoding 

• Reads Code 39, UPC A/E, Codabar & 12 of 5 

• Units in stock, 2 year warranty 

• Bar code printing software, call for info 


P 

PERC0N, Inc. 
2190 W. 11th 
Eugene, OR 97402 
(503)344-1189 


E R C 


The BEST 

BAR CODE READER 
for the IBM PC&AT 

Simple & quick installation 
No additional software or port 
Metal wand & case 
Also available: 

Bar code printing software 

Magnetic stripe readers 

Units for other computers & terminals 

TPS ELECTRONICS 
4047 Transport Street 
Palo Alto, CA 94303 

Telephone: 415-856-6833 

Telex: (Graphnet) 371-9097 TPS PLA 

CIRCLE 294 ON READER SERVICE CARD 


Business 

Opportunities 


WANTED: INSTRUMENTATION 
CONSULTANTS 

Major hardware supplier seeks to identify tech¬ 
nical consultants in all parts of the US to whom 
they can refer potential clients. Competence in 
programming, hardware set up and calibration 
required for PC-based instrumentation solu¬ 
tions. Respond with resume to P0 Box 9565, New 
Haven, CT 06536 
Cyber Research, Inc. 

5 Science Park Center 

P.0. Box 9565 New Haven, CT 06536 

(203)786-5151 


PRODUCT 

CATEGORIES 

HARDWARE 

ACCESSORY CARDS 
COOLING DEVICES 
COMMUNICATIONS 
COMPATIBLES 
GENERAL 
MASS STORAGE 
PERIPHERALS 
SECURITY DEVICES 
USED EQUIPMENT 

SOFTWARE 

ACCESSORIES/SUPPLIES 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 

BUSINESS 

COMMUNICATIONS 

DATA BASE MANAGEMENT 

EDUCATIONAL 

ENGINEERING 

EXPERT SYSTEMS 

FINANCIAL 

GENERAL 

GRAPHICS 

LANGUAGES 

MULTI/USER SYSTEMS 

NETWORKING 

OPERATING SYSTEMS 

PROGRAMMERS TOOLS 

PUBLIC DOMAIN 

SCIENTIFIC 

SECURITY DEVICES 

STATISTICS 

TERMINAL EMULATION 
UTILITIES 

WORD PROCESSING 

MISCELLANEOUS 

BAR CODING 

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 
PUBLICATIONS 


JUNE 1987 


221 




































































READER 

SERVICE NUMBER ADVERTISER PAGE 

116 Advanced Logic.Back Gatefold Cover 

129 A.J.S Publishing. 179 

153 Aker.125 

* Aldebaran. 105 

141 Alsys...127 

244 American Small Business.185 

214 Answer Software.16 

136 Arity Corporation.167 

* AST Research, Inc.52 & 53 

206 ATI.155 

203 Atron.88 

249 Atron.28 

165 Attachmate.43 

221 Avocet.188 


105 Barrington Systems.82 

133 Basis. 66 

* BC Associates.208 

102 Blaise Computing.21 

* Borland Int’l. Front Gatefold Cover 

254 Borland Int’l. 1 

147 Byte Connection..206 


111 Catamount Corp..198 

117 CDA Computer Sales.206 

232 Central Point.1. 132 

235 Computer Classifieds.207 

1 66 Condor Computer Corp.126 

178 Control Systems.177 

* Creative Programming Consultants.26 

167 Crosstalk Comm. Back Cover 

261 Custom Software Systems.110 


118 Data Access Corp..80 

110 Digiboard.184 

123 Digi Data.. 160 


131 Ecosoft.146 


119 FairCom.183 

180 Flagstaff Engineering.150 


112 Generic Software.193 

172 Giltronix.58 

♦ Gold Hill Computers.72 & 73 

241 Gryphon Micro.201 


113 Haven Tree Software Limited...131 

242 Hercules Computer.90 & 91 


READER READER 

SERVICE NUMBER ADVERTISER PAGE SERVICE NUMBER ADVERTISER PAGE 


IBM.. 

.29-31 

Innovative Data Terh. 

...197 

Intel Corp. 

__ 

Intel Corp..•. 

... 136 & 137 

Interactive Microware. 

.198 

ITS. 

.209 

KADAK Products. 

.198 

Kurtzberg Computer Systems.124 

Lahey Computer Systems, Inc. Ill 

Lattice, Inc. ; .. 

.162 

Lifeboat Assoc. 

.22 

Logicsoft... 

.12 & 13 

I OC1TTFCH Inc 

.99 

Lugaru. 

_172 

Mansfield Software. 

.191 

Mark Williams. 

.107 

Mathsoft.. 

.62 

mbp Software. 

.153 

MDS, Inc.. 

.106 

Micro Data Base Systems. 

.64 

MicroHelp, Inc.. 

.108 

Microport. 

..17* 

Microsoft Corp. 

.194 

Microsoft Corp... 

.23 

Microsoft Corp.. 

_17-20 

Microsoft Corp. 

.46*47 

MicroTec. 

___101 

MicroWay. 

.204 

MicroWay... 

.147 

Migent. 

191 

Minitab. 

-170 

Mortice Kern... 

.164 

Multi Soft Corp. 

.124 

Nantucket Corp. 

.169 

-National Design. 

16* 

Norcom. 

148 

Novell Data. 

.113 

Opt-Tech Data Processing... 

....4 

Orchid Technology. 

.149 

Overland Data.. 

__174 

Paradise Systems. 

.6&7 

Paul Mace Software. 

142 

PC Brand. 

.86-89 

Peripheral Marketing. 

_ 178 

Perisope Company... 

.5 

Peter Norton. 

.192 

Polytron. 

..176 

Precision Data.. 

.210 


* 

157 

Raima Corp.. 

Rainbow Technology. 

. 11 

. .112 

171 

Ram Fvplosion. 

. 210 

137 

Ryan-McFarland. 

.109 


Santa Clara.202 

Scantel Systems Ltd.210 

Scientific Endeavors..197 

Scottsdale Systems.208 

Seattle Telecom.186 


SoftOaft Inc, .. 

.2 

Software Link. 

60 

Software Masters,, ,. 

166 

Software Products. 

.25 


Software Security.129 

Solution Systems..'..14 

Stargate Technologies.144 

Storage Dimensions.22 

Sunny Hill Software. .187 

Sunny Tech Inc.206 


194 

Tall Tree Systems.—. 

.35 

138 

Teknica. 

.171 

200 

Tcktrnnhr .... 

.37-41 

155 

Telebyte. 

..165 

110 

Telex Computer. 

.78 


156 Unify Corp..161 

169 Upper Bound Micro Computer.24 


115 Vermont Creative Software.27 

204 Video 7..84 


243 Weltec. 200 

226 White Crane..197 


.116*117 


222 


PC TECH JOURNAL 





































































































































INDEX TO PRODUCTS 


PC TECH JOURNAL JUNE 1987 


RS# PRODUCT 


ADVERTISER 


PAGE RS# PRODUCT 


ADVERTISER 


PAGE 


116 


110 


178 

216 

159 

202 

233 

197 


IBM AND COMPATIBLE PCS 

ALR Access 386 . Advanced Logic Back Gatefold Cover 

AST Premium/286 AST Research .52 & 53 

Personal System/2 IBM .29-31 

Intelligent Workstation Telex Computer Products .78 

MULTIFUNCTION/MEMORY CARDS 

Smart Hostess Control Sys/Control Div.177 

Above Board Intel Corporation .136 & 137 

Jet 386 Orchid Technology .149 

Fastcard Peripheral Marketing .178 

System 2 Prolog Corporation .159 

286 Board Seattle Telecom & Data .186 


GRAPHICS CARDS 

206 EGA Wonder 
242 Hercules In Color Card 
146 Genesis 1024 
230 Auto Switch EGA 
204 Video Deluxe 


ATI Technologies .155 

Hercules Computer .90 & 91 

National Design .163 

Paradise Systems .6 & 7 

Video Seven .84 


MASS STORAGE HARDWARE 

111 9 Track Tape System Catamount Corporation .198 

123 9 Track Tape Digi Data .160 

180 9 Track Tape Flagstaff Engineering .150 

149 9 Track Tape System Ibex Computer Systems .198 

108 LEO Innovative Data Technology .197 

185 Nine Track Micro-Mainframe Overland Data .174 

170 Batram Santa Clara Systems .202 

155 Multifunction Storage Telebyte .165 

169 The Eagle Series Upper Bound Micro . 24 

243 Floppy Disk Drive Weltec Digital Inc.200 


PRINTERS-PLOTTERS 

194 J Laser Plus 


DATA ACQUISITION 

209 Catalogue 


MONITORS 

227 Laserview Display System 
138 MJ503 


165 

172 

164 


110 

109 

189 

177 


LOCAL AREA NETWORKS 

3-N-l 
Easy Que 
Open Ac< 


, Jueue 
Open Access To Network 


Tall Tree Systems .35 


Interactive Microware .198 


Sigma Designs .133 

Teknica .171 


Attachmate Corporation .43 

Giltronix .58 

Software Products Int’l.25 


OTHER COMMUNICATION HARDWARE 

Digiboard COM/XI Digiboard Inc. 184 

SFT Netware Novell .113 

The Block Software Security .129 

Stargate OC8000 Stargate Technologies .144 


129 

* 

141 

214 

249 

203 

221 

102 

254 

232 

166 

261 
119 
241 
1 13 
148 
160 
125 
150 
210 
257 


191 

222 

101 

183 

154 

201 

168 

158 


190 

191 

101 

215 

176 

200 


244 

107 


153 

118 

211 

224 

156 

236 


PROGRAMMER’S TOOLS 

db/LIB 

Tree Diagrammed Source Print 

ADA Compiler 

ICD286 

Mini Probe 

PC Probe 

Assemblers, Simulators 
C Tools Plus 
Turbo C 
PC Tools 

The Condor Editor 
Vitamin C 
PCm 

R-Tree/C-Tree 
The Weiner Shell 
Flowchart 
C-Tree Query 
Pror 
Epsilon 
Help/Control 
Xray 

Mach 2 for Turbo Pascal, Screen 
Machine 
Window Tools 
Cobol 

Opt-Tech Sort 
Mace Utilities 
Programmer’s Tools 
The Norton Editor 
Polymake/Polytron Ver. Ctrl. 
Btrieve 

Visible Computer 
Taskview 


A T S. Publishing .179 

Aldebaran .......105 

Alsys, Inc.127 

Answer Software . 16 

Atron .28 

Atron .8 

Avocet Systems, Inc.108 

Blaise Computing .21 

Borland Inu.Front Gatefold Cover 

Central Point Software .132 

Condor Computer Corp.126 

Creative Programming Con.26 

Custom Software Services .110 

FairCom .183 

Gryphon Microproducts .201 

HavenTree Software .131 

Kurtzberg Computer System .124 

Lattice, Inc.162 

Lugaru Software .172 

MDS, Inc.106 

Micro Tec Research .101 

MicroHelp, Inc.108 

Microsoft Corporation .194 

Norcom Inc.148 

Opt-Tech Data Processing .4 

Paul Mace Software .152 

PC Brand . 86-89 

Peter Norton Computing .192 

Polytron Corporation .176 

SoffcCraft . 2 

Software Masters .166 

SunnyHill Software .187 


SOFTWARE UTILITIES 

Super PC-KWIK MultiSoft Corp .124 

Cobol Norcom .148 

Mace Utilities 5000 Paul Mace Software . 152 

Periscope Periscope Company . ; .5 

Speedster Hard Disk Sub Storage Dimensions .22 

Tek Graphics Processing Systems Tektronix Inc.37-41 


EXPERT SYSTEMS/AI SOFTWARE 

Gold Works Gold Hill Computers 


.. 72 & 73 


GRAPHIC SOFTWARE 

Pro Design II 
Graph C 


American Small Business .185 

Scientific Endeavors Corp. '..197 


DATA BASE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 

Magic PC Aker Corporation . 125 

Dataflex Data Access Corp.80 

Knowledgeman 2 Micro Data Base Systems .64 

Clipper Nantucket Corporation .169 

DB Vista Raima Corp. .11 

Unify Unify Corporation .161 

ZIM Zanthe .116 & 117 


OTHER COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE 


167 Crosstalk Crosstalk Comm..Back Cover 

196 Multi Link Advanced Software Link .60 

226 The Brooklyn Bridge White Crane Systems .197 


OPERATING SYSTEMS 

258 AMX Multitasking Exec 
126 System V/AT 
174 MKS Tool Kit 


Kadak Products Ltd. ..198 

Microport . 173 

Mortice Kern Systems Inc.164 


SCIENTIFIC/ENGINEERING SOFTWARE 

254 Eureka Borland Inti. ... Front Gatefold Cover 

112 Generic Cadd Generic Software .193 

246 MathCAD Math Soft .62 

139 Minitab Mini Tab .170 


136 

105 

133 

254 

131 

241 

128 

143 

229 

263 

207 

225 

140 


163 

137 

130 

115 


LANGUAGES 

Prolog Compiler 
Clarion 

BBX (Business Basic Extend) 
Basic, Prolog, Pascal 
ECO-C88-Microstat 
Mach 2 for Turbo Pascal 
F77L Lahey Fortran 
C+ + 

Modula 2 
Personal Rexx 
Let’s C 4.0 
mbp Cobol 
Microsoft “C” 

Language Newsletter 
Quick Basic 3.0 
Pocket Modem 
RM/Fortran 
Brief 

Windows for Data 


Arity, Inc. 167 

Barrington Systems ...82 

Basis . 66 

Borland Inti.Front Gatefold Cover 

Ecosoft Inc.146 

Gryphon Microproducts .201 

Lahey Computer Systems .Ill 

Lifeboat Associates .22 

Logitech Inc.99 

Mansfield Software .191 

Mark Williams .107 

mbp Systems and Software .153 

Microsoft Corporation .46 & 47 

Microsoft Corporation .23 

Microsoft Corporation .17-20 

Migent Software Inc.151 

Ryan McFarland .109 

Solution Systems .14 

Vermont Creative . 27 


OTHER SERVICES 

228 Documentation 


SECURITY DEVICES 

157 Software Sentinel 


147 

117 

235 

134 

179 

247 

175 

173 

220 

162 

171 

240 

127 

184 


MAILORDER 

Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 

Util, Edit Func., Graphics 
Brief 

Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 
Mail Order 


Xanthus 


197 


Rainbow Technologies, Inc.112 


BC Associates . 

Byte Connection. Inc. 

CDA Computer Sales . 

Computer Classifieds . 

Logisoft . 

MicroWay . 

Precision Data Products ... 
Programmer’s Connection 

Programmer’s Paradise . 

Programmer’s Shop . 

Programmer’s Shop . 

Ram Explosion . 

Scantel Systems Ltd. 

Scottsdale Systems . 

Sunnytech, inc. 


.208 

.206 

.206 

...207 

.209 

.12 & 13 

.204 

.210 

.69-71 

..205 

...50 

114 & 115 

.210 

.210 

.208 

.208 


JUNE 1987 


223 


































































































































JUNE 

June 1-4 
COMDEX/Spring 
Atlanta, GA (Interface Group) 
Contact: The Interface Group, 
Inc., 300 First Ave., Needham, 

MA 02194; 617/449-6600 

June 3-5 
AI/Europa *87 

Frankfurt, W. Germany (Tower 
Conference Management) Con¬ 
tact: TCM, 331 W. Wesley St., 
Wheaton, IL 60187; 312/668-8100 

June 3-5 

Research and Development on 
Information Retrieval 
New Orleans, LA (acm sigir and 
acm sigart) Contact: Donald H. 
Kraft, CS Dept., Louisiana State 
University, Baton Rouge, LA 
70803; 504/388-1495 

June 8-12 

USENIX Technical Conference 
and Exhibition 
Phoenix, AZ (usenix) Contact: 
usENix Conference Office, P.O. 
Box 385, Sunset Beach, CA 
90742; 213/592-1381 

June 11 

Next Generation Information 
Systems 

Gaithersburg, MD (ACM and U.S. 
Deparment of Commerce) Con¬ 
tact: U.S. Department of Com¬ 
merce, National Bureau of Stan¬ 
dards, Gaithersburg, MD 20899; 
301 / 290-6208 

June 11-12 

Manager’s Guide to End User 
Computing 

Adanta, GA (Georgia Institute of 
Technology) Contact: Deidre 
Mercer, Department of Continu¬ 
ing Education, Georgia Institute 
of Technology, Adanta, GA 
30332-0385; 404/894-2547 

June 15-17 
IBM’s SNA: Security and 
Audit Concerns 
Chicago, IL (MIS Training Insti¬ 
tute) Contact: Michael I. Sobol, 4 
Brewster Rd., Framingham, MA 
01701; 617/879-7999 


June 15-18 
1987 National Computer 
Conference 

Chicago, IL (afips and acm) Con¬ 
tact: NCC 87, afips, 1899 Preston 
White Dr., Reston, VA 22091; 
800/622-1987; in Virginia, 
703/620-8955 

June 23-26 
AutoCAD Expo ’87 
Washington, DC (Autodesk) Con¬ 
tact: Autodesk Marketing Produc¬ 
tions, Autodesk, Inc., 2320 Marin- 
ship Way, Sausalito, CA 94965; 
415/332-2344 ext 799 

June 24—26 

Interpreters and Interpretive 
Techniques 

St. Paul, MN (acm sigpian and 
ieee cs) Contact: Mark Scott 
Johnson, HP Labs, 1501 Page Mill 
Rd. 3u24, Palo Alto, CA 94304- 
1181; 415/857-8719 


July 6-16 

Summer Institute on Educa¬ 
tional Computing 
New Rochelle, NY (Iona College) 
Contact: Brian Monahan, CIS 
Dept., Iona College, New Ro¬ 
chelle, NY 10801; 914/633-2578 

July 21-23 

The Future of Optical Memory 
Technology 

San Francisco, CA (Rothchild 
Consultants) Contact: Rothchild 
Consultants, 256 Laguna Honda 
Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94116- 
1496; 415/681-3700 

July 22-23 

National Financial and Com¬ 
puter Automation Conference 
New York, NY (PC EXPO) Con¬ 
tact: Jim Mion, PC EXPO, 333 
Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 
07632; 800/237-7601; in New Jer¬ 
sey, 201/569-6474 

July 27-31 
SIGGRAPH ’87 

Anaheim, CA (acm siggraph) Con¬ 
tact: siggraph ’87 Conference 
Management, Smith, Bucklin, 


and Associates, Inc., Ill E. 
Wacker Dr., Suite 600, Chicago, 

IL 60601; 312/644-6610 

July 29-31 

AI and Knowledge-based Sys¬ 
tems: Realizing the Potential 
San Francisco, CA (Decision Sup¬ 
port Technology) Contact: DST, 
Conference Registration Office, 

51 Church St, Boston, MA 02116; 
800/843-3263; in Massachusetts, 
617/482-3596 


AUGUST 

August 17-21 
Parallel Processing 
St. Charles, IL (Pennsylvania 
State University) Contact: Sartaj 
K. Sahni, CS Dept., 136 Lind 
Hall, University of Minnesota, 
Minneapolis, MN 55455 

August 17-20 

Engineering/Manufacturing ’87 
Boston, MA (National Computer 
Graphics Assn.) Contact: ncga, 
2722 Merrilee Dr., Suite 200, 
Fairfax, VA 22031; 703/698-9600 

August 15-21 
COMDEX/Australia 
Sydney, Australia (Interface 
Group) Contact: The Interface 
Group, Inc., 300 First Ave., Need¬ 
ham, MA 02194; 617/449-6600 

August 22-28 
IJCAI ’87 

Milan, Italy (International Joint 
Conferences on AI) Contact: 
John McDermott, CS Dept., Car- 
negie-Mellon University, Pitts¬ 
burgh, PA 15213; 415/328-3123 

August 24-28 
AAAI ’87 

Seatde, WA (American Associa¬ 
tion for AI) Contact: Lorraine 
Cooper, AAAI, 445 Burgess, Men¬ 
lo Park, CA 94025; 415/328-3123 


SEPTEMBER 

September 1-3 
PC EXPO 

New York, NY (PC EXPO) Con¬ 


tact: Jim Mion, PC EXPO, 333 
Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 
07632; 800/922-0324; in New Jer¬ 
sey, 201/569-8542 

September 21-23 
Conference on Software 
Maintenance 

Austin, TX (U.S. Department of 
Commerce, National Bureau of 
Standards, and ieee-cs) Contact: 
Roger Martin, U.S. Department 
of Commerce, National Bureau 
of Standards, Building 225, 
Room B266, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899; 301/921-3545 

September 28-October 1 
Conference on Electronic/ 
Desktop Publishing 
San Francisco, CA (National 
Computer Graphics Association) 
Contact: National Computer 
Graphics Association, 2722 Mer¬ 
rilee Dr., Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 
22031; 703/698-9600 


October 13-15 
PC EXPO/Chicago 
Chicago, EL (PC EXPO) Contact: 
Jim Mion, PC EXPO, 333 Sylvan 
Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632; 
800/922-0324; in New Jersey, 
201/569-8542 

October 15-17 
Northeast Computer Faire 
Boston, MA (Interface Group) 
Contact: The Interface Group, 
Inc., 300 First Ave., Needham, 

MA 02194; 617/449-6600 

October 20-22 
NetWorld ’87 

Dallas, TX (PC EXPO) Contact: 
Annie Zdinak, PC EXPO, 333 Syl¬ 
van Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 
07632; 800/526-3247; in New Jer¬ 
sey, 201/569-6409 

October 20-22 
UNIX EXPO 

New York, NY (National Exposi¬ 
tions Company) Contact: Nation¬ 
al Expositions Company, Inc., 49 
W. 38th St., Suite 12A, New York, 
NY 10018; 212/391-9111 


JULY 


OCTOBER 


224 


PC TECH JOURNAL 


ILLUSTRATION • DAVID PO> 


Use these reader service cards to get 

F R E I IN F 0 R M A T I ON 

about the products and services 
in this issue of TECH JOURNAL 

Learning more about a product that’s advertised or mentioned in an article 
in this month’s issue is as simple as 1-2-3. And absolutely free. 


1 Print or type your name 
and address on 
the attached card. 

Use only one card per person. 


2 Circle the numbers on the card that 
correspond to the numbers at the bot¬ 
tom of the advertisements or articles 
for which you want more information. 


3 Simply mail the card, 
and the literature 
will be mailed to you free 
of charge by the manufacturer. 


(Key numbers for advertised products also appear in 
the Advertisers’ index.) 









T 


JFf 

-J= 


= 


or 

T 


-f — 


j 


lilfin 

IF 





i 



jr 

x 





or 


.T A 

Jt 



\ 


! 4 !! 

2 £U 

iw\Em 











/ 







Are you personally involved in 
the selection of microcomputers 
and related products for: 

I Your company or 
organization? 
a D Yes 0 D No 

2 Your client companies or 
organizations? 

C D Yes °n No 

3 Are you planning to purchase 
in the next 6 months: 

E d PC Hardware? 

F D PC Software? 

G D PC Peripherals? 


101 116 

102 117 

103 118 

104 119 

105 120 

106 121 

107 122 

108 123 

109 124 

110 125 

111 126 

112 127 

113 128 

114 129 

115 130 


131 146 

132 147 

133 148 

134 149 

135 150 

136 151 

137 152 

138 153 

139 154 

140 155 

141 156 

142 157 

143 158 

144 159 

145 160 


161 176 

162 177 

163 178 

164 179 

165 180 

166 181 

167 182 

168 183 

169 184 

170 185 

171 186 

172 187 

173 188 

174 189 

175 190 


191 206 

192 207 

193 208 

194 209 

195 210 

196 211 

197 212 

198 213 

199 214 

200 215 

201 216 

202 217 

203 218 

204 219 

205 220 


221 236 

222 237 

223 238 

224 239 

225 240 

226 241 

227 242 

228 243 

229 244 

230 245 

231 246 

232 247 

233 248 

234 249 

235 250 


251 266 

252 267 

253 268 

254 269 

255 270 

256 271 

257 272 

258 273 

259 274 

260 275 

261 276 

262 277 

263 278 

264 279 

265 280 


281 296 

282 297 

283 298 

284 299 

285 300 

286 301 

287 302 

288 303 

289 304 

290 305 

291 306 

292 307 

293 308 

294 309 

295 310 


311 326 

312 327 

313 328 

314 329 

315 330 

316 331 

317 332 

318 333 

319 334 

320 335 

321 336 

322 337 

323 338 

324 339 

325 340 


341 356 

342 357 

343 358 

344 359 

345 360 

346 361 

347 362 

348 363 

349 364 

350 365 

351 366 

352 367 

353 368 

354 369 

355 370 


371 386 

372 387 

373 388 

374 389 

375 390 

376 391 

377 392 

378 393 

379 394 

380 395 

381 396 

382 397 

383 398 

384 399 

385 400 


Please print dearly— Use only one card per person. 
Name_ 


Void after September 30,1987 


Title. 


_Phone (_ 


Company. 

Address_ 

City_ 


Apt. 


.State. 


(Zip code must be included to insure delivery.) 


Zip. 


, I I Please send me 1 year (13 issues) of PC Tech Journal for $26.70 and bill me. 
— I’ll save 50% off the single-copy price. tj 6872 


mi 


IMS&Jill 


m 


NM 


101 

102 


116 

117 


Are you personally involved in 
the selection of microcomputers 
and related products for: 

I Your company or 
organization? 
a D Yes b D No 

2 Your client companies or 
organizations? 

C D Yes °D No 

3 Are you planning to purchase 
in the next 6 months: 
e D PC Hardware? 
f D PC Software? 
g D PC Peripherals? 


103 118 

104 119 

105 120 

106 121 

107 122 

108 123 

109 124 

110 125 

111 126 

112 127 

113 128 

114 129 

115 130 


131 146 

132 147 

133 148 

134 149 

135 150 

136 151 

137 152 

138 153 

139 154 

140 155 

141 156 

142 157 

143 158 

144 159 

145 160 


161 176 

162 177 

163 178 

164 179 

165 180 

166 181 

167 182 

168 183 

169 184 

170 185 

171 186 

172 187 

173 188 

174 189 

175 190 


191 206 

192 207 

193 208 

194 209 

195 210 

196 211 

197 212 

198 213 

199 214 

200 215 

201 216 

202 217 

203 218 

204 219 

205 220 


221 236 251 

222 237 252 

223 238 253 

224 239 254 

225 240 255 

226 241 256 

227 242 257 

228 243 258 

229 244 259 

230 245 260 

231 246 261 

232 247 262 

233 248 263 

234 249 264 

235 250 265 


266 281 

267 282 

268 283 

269 284 

270 285 

271 286 

272 287 

273 288 

274 289 

275 290 

276 291 

277 292 

278 293 

279 294 

280 295 


296 311 

297 312 

298 313 

299 314 

300 315 

301 316 

302 317 

303 318 

304 319 

305 320 

306 321 

307 322 

308 323 

309 324 

310 325 


326 341 356 

327 342 357 

328 343 358 

329 344 359 

330 345 360 

331 346 361 

332 347 362 

333 348 363 

334 349 364 

335 350 365 

336 351 366 

337 352 367 

338 353 368 

339 354 369 

340 355 370 


371 386 

372 387 

373 388 

374 389 

375 390 

376 391 

377 392 

378 393 

379 394 

380 395 

381 396 

382 397 

383 398 

384 399 

385 400 


Please print clearly— Use only one card per person. 
Name_ Phone(_ 


Void after September 30,1987 


Title. 


Company. 
Address_ 


-Apt.. 


City. 


.State. 


Zip 


(Zip code must be included to insure delivery.) 

□ Please send me 1 year (13 issues) of PC Tech Journal for $26.70 and bill me 
Fll 


l save 50% off the single-copy price. 


TJ6871 








































































































FREE 

INFORMATION 


Follow the instructions 
on the reverse side of 
this card to 
receive advertisers’ 
product information. 
FREE. 



SUBSCRIBE 
NOW! 


Now’s an ideal time to 
consider having us start 
you as a PC Tech Journal 
subscriber. 

13 issues cost you only 
$26.70... a savings of 50% 
off the single copy price. 
Special PC Tech Journal 
Directory published in 
November included with 
your subscription! Just 
check the box at the 
bottom of the reply card. 


NO POSTAGE 
NECESSARY 
IF MAILED 
IN THE 

UNITED STATES 


BUSINESS REPLY MAIL 

FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 27346 PHILADELPHIA, PA 
Postage will be paid by addressee 

TEdH 

OURNAL 

J P.O.Box40086 
Philadelphia, PA 19106-9931 




NO POSTAGE 
NECESSARY 
IFMAILED 
IN THE 

UNITED STATES 


BUSINESS REPLY MAIL 

FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 27346 PHILADELPHIA, PA 


Postage will be paid by addressee 

TEdH 


OURNAL 

P.O. Box 40086 


Philadelphia, PA 19106-9931 





















































Last year, Advanced Logic Research introduced 
the first 80386 systems. Now we’re introducing 
the ALR 386/2™ the second generation. 






Until now, if you wanted 
three times the speed of an AT™ 
you paid about three times the 
price of an AT. Now Advanced 
Logic Research announces 
second-generation 386 systems— 
designed to do to the price 
barrier what our, 
first generation 
did to the per¬ 
formance barrier. 

Annihilate it. 

Starting at $1990, ALR’s totally 
new 386/2 systems couple the 
power of 32-bit processing with 
true 32-bit memory. Even the 
system and graphics BIOS are 
implemented in a 32-bit architec¬ 
ture. That simply means your 

applications will run 
faster on a 386/2 
than any other 
available computer. 
And ALR 386/2 
systems let you use all the 
peripherals, graphics, enhance¬ 
ments and applications 
developed for the most widely 
adopted computer operating 
environment in history. 

Which makes you wonder 
why others want thousands 
more for less flexible, first- 
generation 386 systems. 

How to run circles around 
the competition. 

Sure, Compaq and IBM use 
the fastest available hard 
disks and controllers 
with 1:1 interleaving, 

— Advanced Logic 
Research 

Compaq 

HI IBM 

just like Advanced Logic 
Research. But they don’t buffer 


a full 17-sector hard disk track, 
settling for sector by sector 
buffering. Our way makes the 
fastest even faster where it 
counts—in the real world. 

And with up to 2 MB of RAM 
on the motherboard, you 
get flexibility with your 
power. 


Picture this. 

Naturally the raw speed of 
80386 means the 386/2 series 
make great 

——' Or choose 
flUHSHs enhanced 
EGA™ or GA 786™ graphics 
from ALR and a variety of 
sources and get the most 
advanced resolutions available. 

The 386/2 series makes 
the best use of floor or 
desk space. 


You can even run up to nine 
applications at once. Without 
memory limitations. Because all 
hanced ALR systems include 
the bestselling multitasking 
software Desqview™ as 
well as QEMM™ an EMS 
management utility. 


Speed to bum. Without having 
money to burn. 


Read the reviews and compare 
the 386/2 to the others. Then 
compare more. If you find more 
power, flexibility and quality 
somewhere else, buy somewhere 
else. You won’t find a more 
competitive price anywhere else. 




Advanced 

Logic 

Research 

$4389 


IBM 

$6995 


$7094 


7000 

6000 

5000 

4000 

3000 

2000 

1000 


The ALR 386/2 Model 40 with EGA 
adapter is similar to the IBM Model 
80-041 and Compaq Deskpro 386 
Model 40 with EGA adapter Except 
for a lower price and twice their 
standard RAM. 


Advanced Logic Research. 
Faster, first. 

Advanced Logic Research 
got its start designing high- 
performance microcomputers 
for customers that demanded 
more power than they could get 
off the shelf. We designed one 
of the first IBM PC-compatibles. 
Developed the enhanced 
performance AT-compatible PC 
Magazine called “... the most 
judicious choice...” And 
introduced the first 386 system, 
which PC Tech Journal said 
“... brings up-to-date technology 
to affordable 386 systems!’ 

Our complete line of perfor¬ 
mance XT and AT-compatible 
systems offers the advanced 
technology of one of the 
world’s most experienced PC 




















design teams. And the cost- 
effective quality of Singapore- 
based manufacturing. So you 
simply get more computing 
power for less money. From a 
growing international net¬ 
work of ALR dealers chosen 
for their ability to deliver full- 
service and support. 

Call Advanced Logic Research 
today for the name of your local 
ALR dealer. And discover the 
price of power isn’t as high as it 
used to be. 

Performance Specifications 
386/2 Model 10 $1990 


386/2 Model 130 $7299 


• ALR-designed system 
board 

• 16 MHz 80386 processor 

• 10 MHz 80287 support 

• 1 MB 32-bit RAM, 
expandable to 2 MB on 
system board 


1.2 MB floppy disk drive 
Serial and parallel ports 
8 expansion slots 
101 -key keyboard 


• ALR-designed system 
board 

• 16 MHz 80386 processor 

• 10 MHz 80287 support 

• 2 MB 32-bit RAM 

• 40 MB, 30 ms, or less, 
access time hard disk 
drive 


• EMS and multitasking 
software 

• 1.2 MB floppy disk drive 

• Serial and parallel ports 

• Desktop or floormount 

• 8 expansion slots 

• 101-key keyboard 


386/2 Model 80 


$4690 


• ALR-designed system 
board 

• 16 MHz 80386 processor 

• 10 MHz 80287 support 

• 2 MB 32-bit RAM 

• 70 MB, 30 ms, or faster, 
access time hard disk 
drive 


• EMS and multitasking 
software 

• 1.2 MB floppy disk 

• Serial and parallel ports 

• Desktop or floormount 

• 8 expansion slots 

• 101-key keyboard 


• ALR-designed system 
board 

• 16 MHz 80386 processor 

• 10 MHz 80287 support 
•2 MB 32-bit RAM 

• 130 MB, 30 ms, or faster, 
access time hard disk 
drive 


• EMS and multitasking 
software 

• 1.2 MB floppy disk drive 

• Serial and parallel ports 

• 8 expansion slots 

• 101-key keyboard 


Enhancements 


386/2 Model 40 


$3990 


Monitor not included 

A complete range of enhancements, including 4 MB 
32-bit RAM and multifunction products as well as 
additional I/O options are available. 640 x 480 pixel 
AV EGA with 16 colors and GA 786 graphics adapters 
available third quarter. 



Advanced Logic Research, Inc 

10 Chrysler, Irvine, CA 92718 (714) 581-6770 
FAX: (714) 581-9240 TELEX: 5106014525, 

Answer back Advanced Logic 

From Asia or Europe call ALR/Wearnes Technology 

Phone: (65) 2592521 TELEX: RS38113WRNTEC 


Circle No. 116 for Re-seller, No. 121 for End-user. 

Specifications, configurations and prices subject to change without notice. Copyright 1987 Advanced Logic Research. All rights reserved. 

386/2 and GA 786 are trademarks of Advanced Logic Research, Inc. AT a trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Desqview a trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems. 

Phoenix a trademark of Phoenix Technology, Ltd. 






























Announcing 
80386 power 
with 1 MB 
of 32 -bit 
RAM for 
less than 
$ 2 , 000 . 

























No matter where you take 
CROSSTALK Mk.4 


♦ ♦ ♦ 

You won ’t encounter a PC communications program with as much versatility as 
CKOSSTALK®Mk. 4. It has everything we could imagine you needing today. More 
protocols — X.PC, Xmodem, Kermit, and our own CROSSTALK. More terminal 
emulations, including complete IBM 3101, DEC VT-100, and TeleVideo 900 
series. Concurrent communications capability — up to 15 sessions, each 
displayed in its own expandable window, or on separate ' 'pages. ’ ’ Error 
checking at high speeds. Prepared script files to extract information from 
most popular information utilities. A powerful programming language 
to create customized scripts. Finally, we’ve built-in a bit of tomorrow. 
« 4 \ CROSSTALK Mk. 4 is based on a modular architecture that means we 
cam add new capabilities by phone, as they come along. So you’re 
getting more than today’s standard in communications software. 

* You’re getting tomorrow’s as well. 

\- i C T A I I/* Digital Communications Associates. Inc. 

i vKL/\\l/\LI\ 1000 Holcomb Woods Parkway 

\ * com MU NiCATiows Roswell, Georgia 30076 


Lrymshare. Inc. 


CIRCLE NO. 167 ON READER SERVICE CARD